A Real Pain [NYFF 2024]

Studio: Searchlight Pictures
Director: Jesse Eisenberg

Oct 05, 2024 By Kaveh Jalinous Web Exclusive

Two cousins meet at an airport. One of them’s been there for hours. The other has called every step of the slightly traffic-induced drive there. Despite their personalities initially seeming like remixed versions of one another, their first interaction suggests that the two couldn’t be more different. That quick reveal sets the stage for Jesse Eisenberg’s sophomore feature, A Real Pain, a laugh-out-loud funny yet deeply somber look at the pains of family.

First, some context. Benji (Kieran Culkin) is the cousin who’s been waiting at the airport for hours, simply because he thought it would be a cool place to relax and meet new people. David (Jesse Eisenberg) is the rampant caller—a slightly socially-awkward, painfully-shy person who has the perfect life with his wife and child, yet seems completely alienated from his emotions. Even the pair’s first interaction is awkward, as aloof Benji explains to David that he’s smuggling weed with him on their flight. David is not amused, but with Benji’s infectious personality and gravitas, they make it through security with no problem (it’s later revealed that Benji had, indeed, shipped the weed ahead of time).

Benji’s and David’s trip is complicated in its simplicity. The two are visiting Poland to see the homeland of their recently deceased grandmother, who survived the Holocaust and fled shortly after. For most of the trip, they’ve booked a small group tour. On the last day, they’ll visit their grandmother’s childhood home. As the tour begins, a problem quickly develops. Benji’s personality makes him a hit with everyone on the tour; David’s does nothing of the sort. As the trip goes on, though, it appears that Benji, David, and their relationship is much more complicated than it seems.

From the get-go, it’s clear that A Real Pain is a film Eisenberg’s been waiting to write. The film’s brash, uncomfortable humor perfectly syncs with the persona the actor has cultivated throughout his entire career. It’s a type of comedy that somehow feels unpleasant to watch unfold yet never overly cringe-inducing or forced. Much of that is attributable to Eisenberg’s use of comedy as a tool for characterization, rather than one to keep the audience’s attention. With each joke, we learn more about the complexity of Benji’s and David’s relationship and their complicated true feelings for one another. This is especially apparent in the film’s second half, as Eisenberg toys with the boundaries between comedy and drama to a heartbreaking, yet effective degree.

Despite the overall successes of the film’s script, there are times when A Real Pain frustratingly lays its cards on the table too early. The beauty of Eisenberg’s script is that it thrives in its subtlety. A lot about Benji’s and David’s pasts and current situations can be left unsaid, or addressed at the point of boiling over. And for the most part, they are. But, there are several scenes that hammer at the film’s themes a little too directly, especially when they result in shattering, trajectory-changing information about one of the film’s characters (usually Benji). This creates an odd dynamic where we already know what reveals are coming in the two characters’ conversations, long before those subjects are breached in the film. As a result, the film’s tension, especially across its second half, consistently stays diluted and remains slightly less impactful than it could, and should, be.

A Real Pain’s success is not only attributable to its screenplay but to its performances as well. Eisenberg and Culkin absolutely shine in their roles, with each actor perfectly syncing himself to the quirks (and flaws) of their characters. Their chemistry never feels phoned-in, and—at more times than not—it’s hard to believe that they’re not cousins. In fact, it’s their dynamic that makes A Real Pain’s rumination on our love, affection, and frustration for those closest to us so beautiful.

Watching the film, it’s all-too-easy to see the ways in which, in the hands of another screenwriter, director, or pair of performers, a sensitive, emotionally-driven story like this could have failed. Because all of the right ingredients are there, A Real Pain excels. (www.filmlinc.org/nyff2024/films/a-real-pain/)

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