19/14
Benji Kaplan: That, folks, is what cinema is all about
Chronology
Odd cousins David and Benji reunite for a tour of Poland in honor of their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd couple’s old tensions resurface in the context of their family history. When Benji and David visit their grandmother’s house in Poland, the place is where Jesse Eisenberg’s real-life ancestors settled in the diaspora. Featured in Amanda the Jedi Show: The Best and Weirdest Movies You (Mostly) Haven’t Seen Yet | Love Lies Bleeding (2024).
touch the white mark
(Seen at a preview in Bristol as part of the London Film Festival) I had high hopes for A Real Pain, but despite some funny moments and moving speeches, there are just too many areas where it doesn’t deliver. The biggest positive is Jesse Eisenberg himself. The writer-director centers the film on eccentric but successful New Yorker David, who invites his cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin) on a trip to Poland to pay tribute to his grandmother and reflect on his personal struggles. Eisenberg is believable and likable and is at the center of the best scenes.
But Culkin is just annoying
It’s a lively performance, to be sure, but her volatility and inability to read a situation means she’s the kind of person you’d try to get rid of within minutes of meeting her. It’s hard to believe it’s becoming the star attraction of the tour group. Will Sharpe is also very weak as a tour guide, adopting an effeminate Yorkshire accent for comic effect; maybe it doesn’t bother American ears that much, but these British ears were very disappointed. The role would have been much stronger if it had been played more directly.
Situations develop, or are assumed to have developed, without any obvious cause or solution
The rest of the cast have small roles, but Jennifer Gray (yes, THE Jennifer Grey) and Kurt Egyiawan stand out, adding authenticity to their characters. Apart from the variable performances, there is a general feeling that the scenes were improvised and worked on as they went along. For a drama to be successful (and at its core, this is a drama), the script and story development must have a tension that “A Real Pain” lacks. Any momentum that has built up fades easily: I was checking the clock after half an hour and the movie feels long, even though it’s less than 90 minutes long.
A missed opportunity
Oh, and there are times when it looks like a promotion for the Polish tourist office; Don’t get me wrong, it made me want to visit it, but I don’t think that’s the role of a feature film. “A real pain” He suggests that he has something important to say about the pain, but he can never find the right words. See the full lineup for the 62nd New York Film Festival this fall.
