-Written by Kyle Bain.
After the passing of their beloved grandmother, Benji (Keiran Culkin) and David (Jesse Eisenberg) travel to Poland to explore their family history and visit their grandmother’s former home. A Real Pain explores themes of loss and the struggles that often come as a result.
A Real Pain is a film that I had incredibly high hopes for. I was interested in seeing how Eisenberg, who both wrote and directed the film, would be able to bring such a simple, but potentially sophisticated story to life. I’ll get right to it, this film does not, by any means, live up to my expectations. I walked out of the theater, and even thought it a few times while in the theater, that this film simply “exists.” Much of the film is empty, void of real emotion, genuine comedy, or hard hitting moments. I anticipated a film that would repeatedly hit me in the gut, that would be able to bring me close to tears, or even push me over that threshold. I got very little of that throughout A Real Pain, and it’s ultimately one of the most disappointing films of the year for me.
There are some really wonderful moments, literally just a handful, though. And those important moments are all encompassing, surrounded, however, by empty space that ultimately drowns them out. A Real Pain is heavily rooted in despair and grief, but with so much of the film failing to touch on those feelings, it feels very hollow. That's what I walked away from the film feeling: hollow. I didn’t feel an influx of emotion, I didn’t feel a grand connection to the characters; I felt distanced from the film by the time it concluded.
There, unfortunately, is a lot of bad with A Real Pain, but there is good as well, things that kept it afloat and enticing throughout. The acting is one of those things. I’m familiar with Eisenberg as an actor, and I’ve known him to be incredibly successful in just about every role that he takes on (sans Lex Luthor–but that’s probably not his fault). I’m not surprised by what he brings to the table as the OCD, sort of manic depressive half of this buddy-comedy duo. I don’t want to downplay what he brings to the table, however. A Real Pain does require a certain amount of discipline, particularly in regard to its two leads. The majority of A Real Pain is dry, something I certainly don’t have any qualms about–and this is honestly one of the more intriguing aspects of the film. Their performances are well executed, and viewers are able to appreciate the minor details in the facial expressions and bodily movements.
By the time I walked out of the theater I wonder what it was that Eisenberg had hoped to accomplish with A Real Pain. It appears that there is some actual connection between him and the content of his film, that his family history is present in this film to a degree. If that’s actually the case, then I can accept that–understand why he might want to develop A Real Pain. However, I’m not sure that Eisenberg is successful in making his film accessible to all. The dry comedy (which I love) won’t reach everyone, and there are far too few memorable moments. As I recount my time in the theater, I’m actually struggling to come up with more than four or five pivotal scenes from A Real Pain. I wish there had been more of an emotional connection, but those meant-to-be emotional moments ultimately fall flat as a result of the rest of the film’s failures.
Written & Directed by Jesse Eisenberg.
Starry Kieran Culkin, Jesse Eisenberg, Olha Bosova, Banner Eisenberg, Jacob Gasowski, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, etc.
6.5/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE
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