The second film by actor-writer-director Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain, is a bit of a mismatched buddy dramedy as well as a travelogue, where travelogue aspects relieve certain parts of Poland of their mere setting status and elevate them to being a character. A couple of times, it is the place rather than the human actors who upstage the drama that unfolds. Externally as much as people watch during the film which is slightly more than ninety minutes, not much activity takes place. It’s about two cousins, Benji and David Kaplan (Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg), who after the death of their grandmother travel the world and try to understand what kind of places determined aspects of her life. So, they follow a journey of connecting, not connecting and reconnecting. It’s a tale that starts long before the actual footage rolls and continues long after.
Benji and David, together with a small tour group, meanders through Poland, which begins in Warsaw and continues in Lublin among other places. James is the only non-Jewish participant in the group, he is a Brit. Jennifer Grey plays Marcia, who appears alone after her man has unceremoniously left her hoping to start life afresh. There is also an old couple, Mark and Diane, and Eloge who is a a Rwandan genocide survivor who became a Jew for peace. Although Eisenberg lets the supporting roles enjoy their scene, it is first and foremost the story of Benji and David. So, their story comes first.
For people to be able to enjoy A Real Pain, they need to switch to the enjoyment of the pursuit of the two visits through Poland. The dynamics of their relationship are crucial to the script. The cousins’ characters are in stark contrast, and it affects the way they communicate. Benji is extroverted, possibly manic depressive and suicidal, and is very charismatic, David on the other hand, is married with a small child, and a bit introverted, often just meekly putting up with his cousin’s antics and feeling the need to apologize because of him. They are opposites, and yet at times, they can bond.
A Real Pain, in my opinion, does not extract a wild emotional climax rather it is emotionally true in that it does not deliberately try to sell itself. Baffles me how someone would compare these performances, There are moments, small and large of laughter throughout the shows, however, it appears to lean toward the dramatic rather than being a comedic experience. During a bleak visit to one of the many concentration camps, (the Majdanek camp, located near the town of Lublin the area is generally surrounded offering little transitions for the viewers.)
What is the result of a lower number of plot cords? Does this rely on the interactions between the actors probably yes, for such a case was introduced on the subject where Sambe Tube designed darkly comically hostile one-liner like “That’s what white people say”, The two lead actors though are brilliant, Eisenberg being less obnoxious feels as though he is underplaying his role compared to Culkin who benefits most from the best lines and effective moments? His name is thus likely to appear frequently as pundits start making shortlists of nomination candidates for the current year. In terms of conception, Eisenberg would be the X couple was dominant My interpretation would be that the odd couple is Jack Lemmon while Walters Mattahau is Culkin This is the position that he would occupy and Walter is the other occupant.
The only character in the show that already appears to be pre–known is Marcia, who is portrayed by Jennifer Grey. Other than that, she looks barely familiar, given that this is the same Grey who co-starred with Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing decades ago. (That must be an interesting story to hear in terms of how she was selected.)
Wish there would have been a few numbers less than the current number. Almost all piano scores having quite a bit of Chopin would have sufficed. There’s entirely too much and it becomes both repetitious and distracting. Of course, the reason for the fixation on Chopin is given (He is Polish, or was and they have an airport named after him in Warsaw), and yet it is better sometimes to rein it in.
Indeed, this is a film that has a lot in common with Linklater’s Before Sunrise Trilogy not least the contractors that are involved and the broad themes that are covered (albeit over different continents). There’s a fair amount of exploration through wandering and conversation that leads to forged relationships. The major change would be that this is not a love (for a brother) story hence has no such sub-story. Alas, I suppose it’s there whether you want it or not. A Real Pain, perhaps, will appeal to those who like movies that revolve around the mental side of the conflict, and where normal, unsophisticated, and straightforward interpersonal relations dominate.
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