A Real Pain

Jesse Eisenberg's second effort as writer-director sets out to be something unconventional. There's something of Richard Linklater's BEFORE trilogy in the DNA of A REAL PAIN, with some recognizable inheritance from Michael Winterbottom's TRIP series also apparent. The perambulatory pacing, the languorous cinematography that asks you to look beneath the surface of touristy sights, the dialogue that meanders through an unpretentious and unstructured unpacking of the meaning of life, the total absence of any "bad guys," the near total absence of any outright conflict, the barest hint of any goal guiding the plot aside from the completion of a simple itinerary... A Real Pain shares all these realistic features with those earlier, more spirited, life-affirming films. Yet somehow... it doesn't quite work.

I'm not sure what was at fault with why I never really got into this movie. I think a large part of it has to do with all the supporting characters (i.e. Everyone besides the cousins played by Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin). Will Sharpe's non-Jewish tour guide, the Rwandan convert, the old couple, the sexy divorcee... the characters are all very basic, very conventional, very boring. The actors who play them are fine, but there's not much they're given to do, and so they seem unnatural and lifeless, more like set decorations than people. Eisenberg knows how to direct a camera, I think; he knows how to put the proper cinematic elements in place. But perhaps he doesn't know how to direct actors, or maybe he just doesn't know how to write characters. There's never anything to suggest that these people exist beyond the moments we see them in, which perhaps could've been fixed with some more spontaneous improvisation from the actors.

Eisenberg and especially Culkin are better in this regard, but there's still something rather stilted and "written" about a lot of what they say and do. Eisenberg's "workaholic salesman with OCD" is largely one-dimensional, and the few times where his character expands beyond that facade seem more like forced acting than any kind of genuine glimpse into something deeper. Culkin is wonderful--a glimpse perhaps of his Succession character if Roman Roy actually cared about people--but I think that's just a credit to Culkin's talent; he somehow manages to transcend what he's been given to work with.

This is a decent indie film with a few good laughs, a couple of interesting ideas, a memorable tour of Poland, and a solid performance from Culkin. From the trailer and the reviews, I was expecting something much funnier and emotionally impactful, but I'd still recommend the movie to anyone interested in it.

I really enjoyed the movie for several reasons.

1. It moved right along and was short but satisfying for 1:30 hours run time.

2. Great screen play, direction and acting from Jessi Eisenberg. His role David was conflicted about his feelings for his troubled cousin Benji, and that felt very real and relatable.

3. Kieran Calkin plays Benji, a loud, emotional guy who isn't afraid of voicing his opinions and can be a burden to other people but wins them over because of his charm and heart. His acting was superb and very believable (we all know a guy like that in our lives).

4. It is a road movie and shows various sites of Poland and its dark history in a most unpretentious and natural way.

5. Supporting actors including Will Sharpe and Jennifer Gray were also amazing and the ensemble cast had very good chemistry.

I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good original human drama that is not over-dramatic and over-wrought which this movie wasn't.

I was really impressed by this movie. In my opinion it's a really original story. It's strength lies in it subtlety. It very accurately depicts the duality of people's character. The beauty and the shadow. I found it very interesting to see how what looked like "negative" behavior turned out to have some positive effect. How nothing is black and white. How being very direct also means being honest for example. It really makes you think.

The dynamics in the group were also interesting and heart-warming to watch. It shows how people can really connect over a short period of time.

Definitely worth the watch for those who are interested in the complexity of humans.

Watched this at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

Previously, Jesse Eisenberg made "When You Finish Saving the World" which was interesting but unfortunately a bit annoying. Here, Eisenberg's direction and writing for this movie shows he has massively improved as many of the characters are interesting and engaging, good dialogue conversations, and great performances, especially from Kieran Culkin who steals the show in the entire movie.

The narrative explores family history and complicated bondings as each of the themes and explorations on the subjects were handled well and it was funny, emotional, and compelling to observe. Including beautiful camerawork, good soundtrack, and conversations that felt real, genuine, and engaging to observe.

Eisenberg's approach on the chemistry, structure and pacing was good as he has created a really good compelling and personal story about family history and the true meanings of bondings and relationships. There were some soundtrack choices that felt a little out of place. But overall, Eisenberg improved himself and I look forward to see what else he could bring to the today.

I won't cover what others have already said. This isn't a comedy or a road movie and it's not some commentary on the horrors of war.

For me this quaint indie (feeling) flick is really an observation about living with someone with mental illness. If looked upon from this angle it is well observed and touching and uses its three acts to unfold all the different dynamics in the cousins relationships using the backdrop of the road trip and the visit to the concentration camp. It deliberately subverts expectations by not providing a defined ending (often the case in this situation) and the scenes often don't lead to expected outcomes. That's what life can be like when your are dealing with that issue.

For me this made the film an interesting (if flawed) study that was definitely worth the watch. YMMV.