Movie Review: A Real Pain

I doubt anyone would expect a Holocaust tour through Poland to be the jumping off point for one the year’s most charming dramedies, but in only his second feature as a writer and director, Jesse Eisenberg has pulled it off. Not content to merely be one of the best actors of his generation, he is now proving himself to be one of the best behind the camera as well.

Cousins David (Eisenberg) and Benji Kaplan (Kieran Culkin) were born a few days apart and basically grew up as brothers as a result. Despite this closeness, the pair are complete opposites in many ways, with David being more nervous, uptight, and regimented and Benji being far more of a free spirit and prone to dramatic emotional outbursts.

After their grandmother passed away, she left them a sum of money to go to Poland together and better learn about their Jewish heritage, so they fly there and join up with a small, guided tour group led by British gentile James (Will Sharpe). Despite their “odd couple” dynamic David and Benji care deeply for one another, though it quickly becomes clear that the trip may bring some of the latent issues in their relationship to the forefront.

On the tour, Benji’s natural “devil-may-care” charisma leads him to strike up friendships with the other members of the group, especially Rwandan immigrant Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan) and divorcée Marcia (Jennifer Grey). His mood swings and emotional outbursts do lead to some very awkward moments however, particularly with James trying to keep the group on track. That the entire affair winds up being a growth experience for everyone involved should come as no surprise to anyone who’s ever seen a movie before, but that doesn’t lessen the story’s overall impact.

Eisenberg has a keen ear for clever dialogue and judiciously spreads witty one-liners throughout his screenplay. He also understands the seriousness of what occurred at the various sites his characters visit and treats the material with the right amount of respect, utilizing somber and artful framing of what they encounter there, captured with care by cinematographer Michał Dymek (who has previously also done wonderful work on EO).

The cast fully understand the assignment and do commendable work bringing these characters to life. Given the bulk of the screen time, Eisenberg and Culkin truly shine here, but Sharpe, Grey, and Egyiawan are also given room to impress. On a tour that can’t help but spend at least some of its time focusing on tragedy, each of these people also have their own demons and dilemmas to battle with, driving home the film’s central thesis. We as humans are capable of inflicting a great deal of pain on one another, sometimes to an unimaginable degree, but even in our regular lives we each carry some amount of pain around with us every day. All we can do is acknowledge it, face it, and try to move forward as best as we can, ideally with some help from those closest to us. Sometimes even when they are the source of it.

A Real Pain is a truly lovely little film with a relatable core and stellar performances, that beautifully blends humor, pathos, and empathy to create one of the year’s most moving and enjoyable experiences. ★★★★★