At the heart of Jesse Eisenberg’s latest turn behind the camera, A Real Pain, is a fractured relationship between two utterly opposite first cousins, with a recently deceased grandmother providing the catalyst for them to travel together to her one-time homeland. David (Eisenberg – Fleishman Is In Trouble; The End Of The Tour) and Benji (Kieran Culkin – Succession; Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) had a strong bond when they were younger, but now rarely see each other even though they both live in New York.
David is the sensible, practical Kaplan with the job, wife and young son at home while the passive-aggressive Benji is at loose ends with no place to really call his, and grieving the loss of the person he felt understood him best. They plan to honor her by seeing the village she’d lived in before being sent to a Nazi death camp. The two have also booked into a “Holocaust tour for Jews” with a group (Kurt Egyiawan, Jennifer Grey, Daniel Oreskes and Liza Sadovy), organized by their British guide James (Will Sharpe). The itinerary includes visiting Warsaw and the Majdanek concentration camp during their week abroad. It’s a road trip dramedy, the pathos and humor revolving around David trying to navigate Benji’s sudden mood shifts, and with those who end up in the tornado of Benji’s embrace or crosshairs.
Eisenberg wisely takes a backseat to his big energy co-star, who has made a career of playing messy, deeply messed up boys and men going back to one of my favorites, Igby Goes Down. Benji is alternately sweet, exhausting, sensitive and infuriating. He shows genuine curiosity toward Eloge (Egyiawan), an African who fled Rwanda and later converted to Judaism, and befriends the freshly divorced Marcia (Grey), in whom he senses a kindred wounded spirit. But after one of their stops, an enraged Benji turns a harsh gaze on the thoughtful, dedicated James, and brutally tears into him for what he sees as James’ limitations as a guide when he, for instance, doesn’t think to have them interact with any actual Polish people.
Culkin is spectacular, balancing between caustic, raw and charming, and ultimately, the deeply troubled Benji earns our empathy. Grey is lovely as the understanding, maternal Marcia and it’s wonderful to see her in a movie after a long absence. Eisenberg once again expertly portrays the earnest, self-serious good guy, and skillfully plays the straight man to Culkin’s antics. In his second go at directing and writing, he’s crafted a wrenching, funny and profound story of people trying to heal and connect. Count on A Real Pain getting some awards on Oscar night.
‘A Real Pain’ is in Twin Cities theaters starting Nov. 15, but we have LIMITED passes to a screening on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at the AMC Rosedale 14, starting at 7 p.m. Go to: http://www.searchlightscreenings.com/TCJEWFOLKxARP. TC Jewfolk’s custom access code is TCJEWFOLKxARP. Note: Having a pass does not guarantee a seat, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis. It is recommended to arrive by 6:30 p.m.
Thanks for this well thought out review. You bring texture to the picture and whet my appetite to see it.