Grief can be a complicated thing. The latest film from actor Jesse Eisenberg explores a family trying to overcome loss that is both permanent and figurative regarding their own relationship. A Real Pain begins in JFK airport in New York City as cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) Kaplin head to Poland to honor their recently deceased grandmother by visiting her childhood home and connecting with their Jewish heritage. As they embark upon their trip, old tensions resurface while exploring their family history.
A Real Pain explores the nature of grief in the face of losing a loved one, but the way in which it tackles this differs from what someone may expect from a film that delves into this theme. The film takes an authentic, true to life angle on showing how people cope with loss, particularly through the character of Benji. He deals with the death of his beloved grandmother not just through despondency and sadness, but in trying to mask his pain through an increased emphasis on his natural humor and charm, interspersed with moments of anger, shortness, and confrontation where he lashes out and reacts to the smallest disagreement or annoyance with another person. It’s a nuanced look that diverts from what we usually think of when it comes to how people grieve and when coupled with Culkin’s dazzling performance, it provides for a more realistic and authentic take that engenders a deeper connection for the audience with the characters and story. Benji’s ebbs and flows of emotion mirror what most people experience as they mourn the loss of a loved one; one minute can be spent laughing with friends while in the next, a quick reminder of reality may cause one to lash out in response. It’s a genuine exploration of dealing with pain that makes the film feel as if it is genuinely speaking to the human experience.
The complications surrounding our connection to those we love is also touched upon in the film to great effect. David is at once jealous and resentful of his cousin’s gregariousness and his inability to appreciate his social gifts and capitalize on them. David’s emotions are rooted in his care and worry for his cousin however and not in animus. This culminates in a cathartic heart to heart between the two on a Polish hotel rooftop that is well acted by Eisenberg and Culkin. Exploring these feelings through fiction would usually result in a thriller where the conflict arises from hatred, but A Real Pain doubles down in its realism by exploring the love at the root of David’s anger toward Benji. We often become frustrated at those we love because we want the best for them and sometimes, that means wanting and seeing what’s best for them even more than they do. It’s an emotional pocket many in the audience are sure to have been in and what makes this film so relatable and effectual.
A Real Pain combines humor and earnestness in a perfectly balanced way that combines entertainment and emotion to make an eminently watchable film. This is embodied fully through the performance of Kieran Culkin as Benji is one of the year’s best. His portrayal of Benji’s boisterous personality clashing with his unspoken grief is what powers the movie and gives A Real Pain its relatability and charm. Jesse Eisenberg does well in front of the camera as the straight man opposite Culkin, but its his work at the helm of the film in the director’s chair that is most notable, a marked improvement from his feature length debut film just two years ago. Eisenberg has crafted a film that explores the complexity of familial connection and loss while being funny and without detracting from the emotional moments with too much humor. It’s a balance as delicate as its topics that he accomplishes wonderfully and in turn creates a final product that is impactful and worthwhile.
Image: Searchlight Pictures
