A Real Pain
review by Bobby Blakey
Jesse Eisenberg has already had an impressive career in front of the camera and dabbled behind the camera as well. His latest film A Real Pain has him taking triple duties as writer, director and starring alongside Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy and Daniel Oreskes. Could his latest directing outing showcase something special or will it fail to be able to connect with the audience?
​
​A Real Pain follows mismatched cousins, David and Benji, reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the pair's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.
​
I’m a fan of most of Eisenberg’s work so was interested to see what he crafted. The addition of Kieran Culkin who has been kicking butt himself with rolls like that of Roman Roy on Succession. These two together gave me hopes for something special and while the film is excellent there are some bumps in the road that might put some off.
​
Let me say that the film is excellent, and the entire cast are fantastic. Whereas Eisenberg is doing great both in front of and behind the camera it was Culkin that really shined and got the most meat to chew on. Their relationship is what carries the film, but Culkin gets the most dramatic moments and bounces between so many layers of emotion you can feel his struggle even if you don’t always understand it.
​
Despite the great performances the film does feel slow at times and the overall journey never fully feels complete. There are clearly more things in
his life to deal with and it kind of ends on an unresolved downer depending on how you perceive it. It’s a great physical performance from Culkin that I could feel his despair and loss on what to do with his life, but it never really gives you anything beyond that. Maybe its because life is just like that and still manages to deliver a story worth telling.
​
There is some powerful directions in the story itself dealing with the holocaust, history, family and life. Even with the ending I wasn’t fully happy with, I still really liked this film. It succeeds in the tale it sets out to tell and the great performances elevate it to something bigger than it might have been otherwise. It won’t work for everyone, but I suggest you check it out and decide for yourself.
​
​In addition to the film, this release offers bonus content including a making of featurette taking audiences behind bringing this film to life. Join their journey and grab your copy of A Real Pain available now on digital and then on Blu-ray on February 4th from Searchlight Pictures.