A Real Pain marks a transition. Not just for the cousins at the centre of this rambling road trip – we’ll come to that – but also for the man behind the film. Jesse Eisenberg’s third outing as writer/director comes with the sense that he’s completed his apprenticeship and has now graduated as a fully fledged filmmaker, one with strong instincts and a tangible gift for the art form.
Since winning the screenwriting award at this year’s Sundance – and capturing numerous hearts during the festival – the film’s reputation has snowballed and a warm reception in London is nigh-on inevitable. This is, after all, a film that welcomes its audience with open arms, starting with several good gags in quick succession. It’s a cinematic bear hug and you know from the outset you’re in good hands, ones that belong to somebody with insight, humanity and intuitive filmmaking skills. Eisenberg is also in front of the camera, sharing the lead with Kieran Culkin as, respectively, David and Benji, estranged Jewish cousins on a short tour of Poland. Visiting sites of historical significance are just part of their trip because they’re also there for personal reasons – to see the house where their recently deceased grandmother grew up.
Brought up together and with a huge affection for each other, the two men are total opposites and find each other tricky to live with. David is, if you like, the straight man of the double act, with a happy home life and a job he finds satisfying, even if it sounds boring. And, on the outside, he can seem the same. When the pair leave the tour group to go off on their own, their guide is effusive in his appreciation for Benji’s honest feedback. All David gets is a brief, “Bye, David. Thanks.” But he’s also the one with the big heart: the trip was his idea and he’s taken a whole week’s holiday from work (paid leave not being very generous in the US) so that he can re-connect with the talkative, unconventional Benji. And, much as he mocks his cousin’s way of life, there’s much about it that Benji yearns for, but he knows it’s not for him. Despite his more extrovert – and often rebellious – nature, he’s hard to get to know: it’s only when one closely guarded secret emerges that we start to understand and it’s ultimately explained in a few masterfully shot and silent seconds.
There is, of course, a pun in the title. With the other members of the tour, Benji is the “pest”, the “pain”, the one who makes everybody feel awkward and uncomfortable. But, while he’s the source of much of the film’s humour, this is not purely a comedy performance from Culkin. The third of the Succession alumni at this year’s London Film Festival (the others being Sarah Snook in Memoir Of A Snail and Jeremy Strong in The Apprentice), he should regard this as his cinematic breakthrough. He’s no one part wonder, that’s for sure. Eisenberg’s award winning script is a gift to both actors, taking the audience right inside the two cousins and their worlds, as well as giving the supporting cast characters to relish. That titular pun may seem frivolous, but it can be taken on whatever level you like. What’s not up for debate is that A Real Pain delivers on just about every level. And we have a new and very talented director in our midst.
★★★★1/2
Playing as part of the BFI London Film Festival on 13th, 15th and 20th October / In UK cinemas on 10 January 2025 / Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey / Dir: Jesse Eisenberg / Searchlight Pictures
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