“Nobody wants to be alone”
“A Real Pain,” released on Nov. 1, 2024 and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, is an exploration of family dynamics and grief. The film follows two estranged cousins, David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin), as they travel through Poland to honor their recently deceased grandmother. The straightforward plot of a road-trip movie forces our characters into the driving seat of the film, pushing the incredible performances given by Eisenberg (his best since The Social Network in my opinion) and Kieran Culkin (who is almost guaranteed to be nominated for an Oscar). Eisenberg’s script is both humorous and heartbreaking, capturing complex human dynamics infused with subtle touches of humor.
To preface, the issues and topics discussed in the film are extremely difficult. Issues like the Holocaust and suicide are discussed at length throughout the duration of the film, but it does not feel cheap or forced. The profound history that this film approaches is treated with the perfect amount of respect that it deserves; there is no summary of the Holocaust and the characters, and we as the audience don’t need it. The true turmoil lies within our protagonists, the real pain is in them.
This film succeeds on multiple levels, one of which is the development of character and the familiarity with these characters. “A Real Pain” is a quirky, heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking film that blends the best of buddy comedies, road trip movies and family dramas into one unforgettable cinematic experience. This amalgamation of genres adds to this sense of familiarity with David and Benji, furthering this narrative and elaborating on the quirks and traits of these characters audiences quickly grow to love and cherish.
As the narrative progresses, the true theme of the film begins to reveal itself: the exploration of self. Personal identity is so deeply intertwined with living life to its fullest, delving into questions that arise about ourselves by virtue of our being people. What am I? When did I begin? What will I become? We ask ourselves these questions because we are living, breathing individuals. John Locke characterizes a person as “a thinking intelligent being, that has reason and reflection, and can consider itself as itself, the same thinking thing, in different times and places” and it is through art that this internal reflection may begin. Benji is the perfect representation of this. A purposeless man in desperate search for meaning. The title “A Real Pain” is so ironic because the pain is not tangible; the pain is mental, the pain is in our characters. The film has so much to say about mental health, and with the rise of a modern mental health crisis in the 2020s, “A Real Pain” does not shy away from depicting it. The juxtaposition of David and Benji shows the widespread grasp that depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc. can have on an entire spectrum of people.
In the end, “A Real Pain” is a simple story about two individuals that have drifted apart but love each other dearly. It’s a tale that reminds us that our pain is not just okay, but allowed.
(From L-R): Kurt Egyiawan, Will Sharpe, Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in A REAL PAIN. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
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Featured Image: Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in A REAL PAIN. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
