Jesse Eisenberg wrote, directed and stars in A Real Pain, with Kieran Culkin as two estranged Jewish American cousins, David and Benji, who travel to Poland as part of a Holocaust tour group, in an attempt to honour their grandmother, a survivor of a concentration camp, who has recently died.
The title has a double meaning referring both to how the victims of the Nazi atrocity and their descendants suffered but also to Benji. I am sure most of us have known someone like him who seems to have no filter, willing to speak their mind, charm a group of strangers, but also be rude and cruel. Culkin is an absolute certainty for the Supporting Actor Oscar (although in reality he is a co-lead), and whilst he embodies the character uncomfortably well, it is a very flashy part, designed to catch the eye. I was more impressed by Eisenberg’s portrayal of someone racked with uncertainty, in equal measures jealous-of and infuriated-with his cousin. Jennifer Grey also makes an impression as a member of the tour group who Benji bonds with.
Eisenberg also directs with an easy style. His script seems pretty lightweight until the group visits a concentration camp where his understated style creates a real emotional impact. The pair, on their last day, find their grandmother’s old home. I liked how mundane and awkward that becomes. In a lesser film, there would have been a more knowingly profound outcome to their search.
Funny and sad, I look forward to more from Eisenberg behind the camera.
Rating: 8 out of 10