A Real Pain follows David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin), two cousins mourning their grandmother’s death as they go on a tour of Poland to honor her Jewish memory. The two are polar opposites. David is shy and married with a kid whilst Benji is outgoing and independent. As the tour progresses, their old tensions come forward as they deal with their family history.
Jesse Eisenberg wrote the screenplay for this film. I’ve never really been a fan of him, though I never really disliked him. Color me surprised at how great and heartfelt the script is. Emotions run deep here, and not just because they tour a concentration camp. David and Benji each have their own set of mental health issues and insecurities, even as they each envy the other. I also love that Benji has no arc as a character. He remains the same, as most of us do when we can’t deal with our issues. David does have an arc in realizing all he can do is be there for Benji if he needs him, and that he does indeed have a great life. That made these two characters feel very real.
Jennifer Grey is also in this as a single woman on the same tour as Benji and David. She was my favorite side character for she made oversharing such an endearing presence in the movie that I wanted to be her bff.
The sequence when they tour the concentration camp is done so respectfully well. A quiet moment in the film about what it is to be Jewish and what it means to grieve.
The ending made me want to hug Benji. He can say he is okay all he wants, but he obviously is not okay. I don’t ever remember wanting to hug a movie character before, so I guess that is kudos to Kieran Culkin for putting so much life into this character. The Oscar buzz is real for a reason.
Four and a half out of five stars for this funny and heartbreaking film that is sometimes uncomfortable but always genuine.
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Becky Tyler Art and Photography 
A Real Pain follows David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin), two cousins mourning their grandmother’s death as they go on a tour of Poland to honor her Jewish memory. The two are polar opposites. David is shy and married with a kid whilst Benji is outgoing and independent. As the tour progresses, their old tensions come forward as they deal with their family history.
Jesse Eisenberg wrote the screenplay for this film. I’ve never really been a fan of him, though I never really disliked him. Color me surprised at how great and heartfelt the script is. Emotions run deep here, and not just because they tour a concentration camp. David and Benji each have their own set of mental health issues and insecurities, even as they each envy the other. I also love that Benji has no arc as a character. He remains the same, as most of us do when we can’t deal with our issues. David does have an arc in realizing all he can do is be there for Benji if he needs him, and that he does indeed have a great life. That made these two characters feel very real.
Jennifer Grey is also in this as a single woman on the same tour as Benji and David. She was my favorite side character for she made oversharing such an endearing presence in the movie that I wanted to be her bff.
The sequence when they tour the concentration camp is done so respectfully well. A quiet moment in the film about what it is to be Jewish and what it means to grieve.
The ending made me want to hug Benji. He can say he is okay all he wants, but he obviously is not okay. I don’t ever remember wanting to hug a movie character before, so I guess that is kudos to Kieran Culkin for putting so much life into this character. The Oscar buzz is real for a reason.
Four and a half out of five stars for this funny and heartbreaking film that is sometimes uncomfortable but always genuine.
Discover more from Becky Tyler Art and Photography
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
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