Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain is a tremendous accomplishment in more ways than one. In truth, accounts like it have been recorded before, and movies in the same vein exist, yet even while the concept isn’t brand new, the heart is indisputably refreshing and imperative today.
There’s something horrifically harrowing about sitting in a theatre, watching a movie that’s looking back at the Holocaust and knowing that the world hasn’t changed all that much. America has elected a fascist. Genocides around the world are occurring right as I type this, and people are still so deeply selfish and unaware of their privilege. The world isn’t changing anytime soon, and as much as we could scream about empathy in people’s faces, it feels like a lost cause at times. However, that passion isn’t, and Eisenberg presents an intriguing juxtaposition within the film about how people could laugh one minute and weep the next, how our human experience is so intricately nuanced that it’s impossible to ever tell one person’s story—or in this specific case, to remember a life—completely.
More than anything, A Real Pain works as a film because it’s evident how honest it is in its means to represent two very similar yet different men who’ve grown up together. No two people grieve the same person similarly, and at the same time, though we cannot truly weigh the levels of pain, we can examine how they materialize and cement themselves in a person. Eisenberg’s David has somewhat of a grip on his OCD and anxiety, showing the audience that he takes medication and does his best to move forward. Even without his heartbreaking confession at the dinner table we could see his means of trying to bury what’s breaking him.
In contrast, we have Culkin’s Benji, whose pain makes him a ticking time bomb. Bluntness is frequently mistaken for rudeness, yet more often than not, the people who are overtly transparent are suffering in unspeakable ways. This isn’t to say that those who are quiet aren’t, yet the film wants to serve as a reminder not to immediately jump on assumptions about people’s charm and transparency. This detail is ultimately where A Real Pain succeeds because, coupled with the astounding and gut-wrenching performances, it’s a simple measure to showcase the vastness of human suffering within a small group of people who remind us of the sorrows history holds.
As we go about our daily lives, making ads (which, thank you) or writing reviews about films that center harrowing losses and hatred, we forget that pain is still throbbing in somebody’s chest. It’s challenging to be an empath because, like Benji, when it hits, it burns and stings, and you simply don’t have the power as a singular person to do anything about it.
Yet, maybe these quiet reminders are enough to challenge our own empathy in beats of frustration as we attempt to count our blessings—do something small yet impactful that could maybe plant a seed for a better world. I’m not quite sure. What I am sure of, however, is that I haven’t stopped thinking about the film all day, and it’s one that’ll probably stay with me for a while.
Anyone who’s watched Succession knows that Kieran Culkin is a sensational performer. His means of escaping into a role are a tremendous gift, and A Real Pain proves this because when you look into his eyes, there’s no ounce of Roman Roy here. He gives his all, layering the character with such haunting sadness and a tender boyish charm that makes his pain feel even more resounding.
The film explores multiple complex matters of adulthood and grief as it deals with abandonment, suicide, drug abuse, heartache, and an indescribable need to hold onto the good things. As it does this, Eisenberg’s screenplay never once feels cluttered. Instead, it’s easy to navigate through their tour in Poland while we simultaneously get to know those accompanying them. In the short hour-and-a-half time frame, we get a profound examination of pain in various forms, evoking something in each viewer that I imagine will leave a mark.
Memorable performances from every actor, A Real Pain is unquestionably one of the best films of the year. It’s a success in every area, making it the type of masterful directorial debut that deserves its flowers.
A Real Pain is now playing in select theaters.
First Featured Image | Official Poster Credit: ©Searchlight Pictures