Written, directed and starring Jesse Eisenberg, “A Real Pain” is an honest look at reconciliation with family and historical tragedy. It shows there’s no right way to do it, only what works on an individual level.
After their grandmother passes, somewhat estranged cousins David (Eisenberg) and Benji Kaplan (Kieran Culkin) join a tour of Poland to reconnect with their heritage and visit their grandmother’s old home. Their group is led by British grad student James (Will Sharpe), recent divorcee Marcia (Jennifer Grey), older couple Mark and Diane (Daniel Oreskes and Liza Sadovy) and survivor of the Rwandan Genocide Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan).
Each person in the group has their reasons for being on the tour. Altogether, they’re searching for something real to take away from their experience.
Personal And Personable
To begin with, Eisenberg and Culkin are playing the same types of characters they always play. One is a stick in the mud while the other is an eccentric happy-go-lucky type. As the tour progresses and the horrific realities the Jewish population faced become more “real,” the two cousins break out of their respective shells bit by bit.
Their contrasting personalities are exhibited early on when Benji eggs the tour into join him in play-reenacting with the statues at the monument to the Warsaw Uprisings. At the same time, David is hilariously left to juggle everyone’s phones as he struggles to take pictures of them all.
Culkin, straight off an Emmy win, is as personable as always. He demonstrates some real vulnerability when pushed far enough, showing that he’s not a one-note actor. Eisenberg too shows his range when he explodes on his cousin for his glib attitude following a past suicide attempt.
Sharpe is also a little one-note at first as a painfully professional tour guide. He says he’s not Jewish, but profoundly interested in Polish history. Sharpe shows his earnestness in teaching this history. Beneath this, there’s an honest care for what he does driving his knowledge.
A Real Message
A question the story poses but never answers is how should the diasporic descendants of such a horrific tragedy reconcile with that history. Another question posed is how can their struggles in the modern age compare to those who either died in or survived the Holocaust.
A key moment that gets to the heart of this question is when Benji becomes annoyed with James’ constant factoids about Polish history. He criticizes him for how detached it comes across as the tour the group hadn’t interacted with any Polish people. James is taken aback at first but thanks Benji later on for providing him with real feedback for once.
After the group returns from a concentration camp tour, James asks the group how they’re feeling and Eloge replies he feels, “shaken,” then adds, “but it’s better than feeling nothing.”
The film is part of Sundance’s 2024 U.S. Dramatic Competition and has already been acquired by Searchlight Pictures in a $10 million deal, expediting this movie’s future in distribution and potential awards.
