Sundance 2024: ‘A Real Pain’ Review
Stars: Kieran Culkin, Jesse Eisenberg, Olha Bosova, Banner Eisenberg, Jakub Gasowski, Will Sharpe, Daniel Oreskes, Liza Sadovy, Kurt Egyiawan, Jennifer Grey | Written and Directed by Jesse Eisenberg
Cousins David (Jessie Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) Kaplan are brought together after the death of their Grandmother, who left them money in her will to embark on the trip of a lifetime. Leaving the USA to join a group tour in Poland, the pair are not only confronted with their Jewish roots and history but with the entirely real facets of each other.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the astute and acerbic Jessie Eisenberg already has a few films under his belt from behind the camera, but astonishingly, A Real Pain marks his directorial debut. It’s a triple-hander for the mind behind the movie, simultaneously writing, directing, and starring the narrative surrounding two cousins who couldn’t be further apart. David lives up to both his and Eisenberg’s name by embodying everything a well-put-together adult should be, complete with a turned-down shirt and sensible shoes without a scratch. Meanwhile, Benji embodies that one gap year kid who never grew out of his teenage years, being pulled through life by sheer luck in a hideous ensemble befitting of a burned-out youngster.
Through both stereotypes of know-it-all interferer and brash force of nature, both cousins perfectly fill out the type of American tourist anyone would hate to be stuck with. It’s particularly interesting then that both are exceptional vehicles for conversation that tiptioes bravely into the realms of examination. Through outrage and concern, Benji and David open up a dialogue that deals with generational trauma, evolved society, and what one should be doing in a situation that’s supposed to be respectful. Both fluctuate between being unusually stoic and emotionally bereft, all the while leaving the rest of the group to stare on in disbelief. An extra kudos here for the rarely-seen Jennifer Grey – no one certainly puts Marcia in a corner.
While David spearheads the narrative and perception, it’s Benji who does the bulk of the heavy lifting when it comes to working the room. David’s speech to the group about Benji rings true for many in dysfunctional relationships, with feelings of love, hate, admiration, and intolerance all brooding into one indistinguishable pile. However, this means that the narrative often becomes as convoluted as the thoughts in Benji’s brain, meaning that whole sections of A Real Pain are overwhelmingly tricky to follow. Similar to a piece of string knotting itself into clumps, fragments of their journey cannot be made heads or tails of – though such is true of life. The overall direction is fairly standard, with nothing shining in terms of craft or technical merit.
A Real Pain relies on its personal narrative and performances to drive home its sense of gut-punch emotion, which it does achieve to great effect. However, once the emotions pass, there’s little else to be said in the way of standout – or even just praise-worthy – features. As far as personal debuts go, Eisenberg has done himself proud, creating a directorial platform that can now be leveraged for bigger and better things.
*** 3/5
A Real Pain screened as part of this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
