Jesse Eisenberg returns to filmmaking with his recent dramedy film “A Real Pain,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The deeply moving story explores the importance of family with a lighthearted twist.
The film focuses on the journey of polar opposite cousins Benji (Kieran Culkin) and David Kaplan (Eisenberg) as they go on a tour through Poland to pay tribute to their late grandmother, who was a Holocaust survivor.
The film skillfully juxtaposes the cousins’ contrasting personalities as they adventure to Poland, displaying how the extroverted Benji easily strikes up conversations with random strangers, fellow tourists and even a TSA agent. Meanwhile, the more subdued David tries to stay in the background, sheltered under his IU baseball cap like a turtle in its shell.
When the pair arrives at their hotel, they meet up with their tour guide James (Will Sharpe) and are introduced to several fellow travellers: recent divorcee Marcia (Jennifer Grey), couple Diane (Liza Sadovy) and Mark (Daniel Oreskes), and Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan), a survivor of the Rwandan genocide. It is during this meeting that audiences are fully exposed to just how different Benji and David are.
Culkin’s portrayal of the well-intentioned, yet socially inept Benji is praiseworthy. As Eloge recounts his experience of converting to Judaism after fleeing Rwanda, Benji continually interrupts the story with exclamations of surprise and wonder. While these actions would generally be considered rude, Eloge doesn’t seem to mind the disturbances, praising Benji’s curiosity. Later, Benji makes small talk with Marcia, who warms up to his personality and frequently confides in him about her family life.
But not all members of the group strike friendly relations with the outspoken Benji. During a train ride, Benji has an outburst, during which he highlights the irony of traveling in first class, while their Jewish relatives were crammed into the back of vehicles on the way to concentration camps. Another outburst occurs later at a cemetery, when he admonishes James for spewing too many facts and ignoring the solemn nature of the tour.
In these scenes, audiences are transported directly into the body of David, who is always off to the side, attempting and failing to de-escalate the situation. Viewers are overcome with second-hand embarrassment, grimacing as they watch the painful social ineptitude that Benji frequently displays throughout the film.
Eisenberg’s performance of David is no less commendable. Initially, he portrays the character as a timid and shy workaholic, struggling to fit in with the tour group. But, as his qualms with Benji increase, David’s inner discomfort and repressed annoyance slowly bubble to the surface, resulting in him becoming progressively more stern with his cousin.
During intense moments of the film, the facade of comedy falls to reveal a poignant tale about the importance of family. At a group dinner, David reveals that, as he continued to advance in his career in New York City, he drifted further and further away from his former best friend: his cousin Benji. David acknowledges that, after the death of their grandmother, he remained unaware of Benji’s worsening mental state.
The bond between the cousins, though initially presented with an air of unseriousness, is ultimately the film’s emotional core. David is not annoyed at Benji, but rather concerned for the well-being of someone he loves and has not seen in years. Audiences can easily relate to their dynamic and are moved to tears as the cousins eventually express their care, love and gratitude for one another.
As the movie comes to an end, viewers are taken back to the airport, mirroring the opening scene of David and Benji’s initial departure. Having reached the end of their trip, the two cousins part ways in an anticlimactic and bittersweet goodbye. Though it may seem like their relationship has reverted to its previous state, their shared journey proves to have brought them closer, even for just a fleeting moment. With its subtle narrative moves, “A Real Pain” seems to understand that family is not always defined by overt displays of affection, but rather the shared memories — and pain — that bring people together.
Manav is a junior from Indiana, concentrating in International and Public Affairs. In his free time, he likes attempting the daily Connections puzzle or falling down Wikipedia rabbit holes.
