Writer/Director: Jesse Eisenberg
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin
‘A Mesmerizing Masterpiece’
Cousins play crucial roles in families. Everyone can recall a cousin they regard with affection. Shining bright light in darkness, cousins contribute towards a person’s pursuit of happiness. On a personal level, I’ve always shared bonds with my cousin which are powerful. I fondly recall with nostalgia a cousin that shaped my persona. Fond of women’s attire, he was a person that my entire family would admire. A wallflower teenager, he enjoyed doing activities for the opposite gender. Far from ordinary people, he was an inspirational person that my family considered special. Through determination to assist my grandparents, he became a person my family would value. It didn’t take long before I bonded with a cousin I appreciated. I became fond of a cousin I would always love to call by the name. Unaware that he was queer, I bonded with a cousin about whom I had grown to care. Through his wisdom, I was inspired to pursue film criticism. However, sexual identity ended bonds forever. When he revealed that he was gay, I lost touch with a cousin that I valued in every way. In a matter of months, he went from being a family member to a stranger. No longer the companion I adore, he became an outsider I didn’t recognize anymore. In a culture where homosexuality was forbidden, my cousin’s sexuality caused tension. His decision to come out of the closet left my family upset. It was heartbreaking bidding goodbyes to a commemorated cousin I had grown to idolize. Years later, I treasure a cousin which changed my life forever.
As someone treasuring memories of a cousin that faced a real pain, I adored “A Real Pain”. Released in 2024, Jesse Eisenberg’s movie cousins facing tragedy. Packed with breathtaking production-design, engaging storytelling and phenomenal acting, it’s one of the best movies of the year. At the centre of it all is an incredible performance by Kieran Culkin, who embodies a Jewish cousin. Ultimately, what makes “A Real Pain” a masterpiece is its message. It delivers a meaningful message about grief which would resonate with everyone. A mesmerizing masterpiece about cousins, there are real reasons why “A Real Pain” is worth seeing.
Set in Poland, “A Real Pain” tells the story of two Jewish cousins embarking on a journey causing pain. Jesse Eisenberg portrays David Kaplan, a Jewish writer mourning loss of his grandmother. David has always shared a strong bond with his cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin). To honour their grandmother that they adore, David and Benji embark on a Holocaust tour. However, what starts out as an enjoyable trip becomes a disaster. Facing tension, David questions whether it’s truly possible to reconcile with his estranged cousin.
Jesse Eisenberg is fascinated with broken families. His previous movie “When You Finish Saving the World” captured a dysfunctional family. With “A Real Pain”, however, Eisenberg created his first cousins drama. It was the filmmaker’s first attempt to capture barriers faced by cousins in dysfunctional Jewish families, but he succeeded. Through captivating cinematography, Eisenberg captures a pair of cousins embarking on an unforgettable journey. Evoking Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me By Your Name”. Eisenberg deftly uses montages to capture the bonds between a pair of cousins. For instance, montages elevate the photos scene. During this memorable scene, David and Benji bond together by taking photos at Holocaust sites. It reminded me of my bond with a cousin that I appreciated. Montages are tricky techniques to use in movies. As David Fincher’s “The Social Network” suggested, montages elevate business biopics. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this movie. Using stunning visuals, Eisenberg captures hardships cousins are facing.
Another admirable aspect of “A Real Pain” worth discussing is the production-design. From a technical perspective, the movie is extremely well-made. Evoking Barry Levinson’s “Rain Man”, Eisenberg effectively uses trains as settings to capture tensions cousins are facing. For instance, the train setting elevates the wrong stop scene. During this memorable scene, David and Benji have a tense argument when they get off at the wrong train station. One admires train stations capturing tensions faced by cousins. It reminded me of my arguments with a cousin that became conflicted after disclosing his sexuality leaving my family affected. Moreover, the musical score is magnificent. Eisenberg’s decision to use classical music composed by Chopin is risky but works immensely. It gives the movie a tense atmosphere capturing the burden cousins bear. Through production-design, Eisenberg captures commemorated cousins facing a decline.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “A Real Pain” is a real classic that’s captivating. The film is beautifully written, and effectively uses sequences of silence to capture tensions faced by cousins. Eisenberg’s screenwriting strength is his ability to capture tensions experienced by cousins through silence. Evoking Robert Redford’s “Ordinary People”, Eisenberg effectively uses scenes of silence to capture the broken bonds between cousins in a dysfunctional family. For instance, silence elevates the farewell scene. During this heartbreaking scene, David and Benji bid emotional farewell to each other as they go their separate ways at the airport. One admires silence capturing relationships between cousins facing a disturbance. Silence is a tricky technique to use in movies. As Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull” suggested clearly, silence elevates boxing movies. Celine Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” demonstrated minimal dialogue elevates LGBTQ period pieces. Nevertheless, it works in this movie. Through a spectacular screenplay, Eisenberg captures broken bonds between cousins facing a painful price to pay.
One appreciates amazing performances.
Jesse Eisenberg delivers one of his greatest career performances as David. Eisenberg achieved appreciation for playing social network founders in business biopics. With “A Real Pain”, however, he took on his most painful role. It isn’t easy to portray a Jewish man seeking to repair his broken relationships with his cousin but Eisenberg succeeded tremendously. With mesmerizing expressions, he captures the angst, frustration and trauma of a Jewish man seeking to reconcile broken relationships with his estranged cousin. It’s a phenomenal performance from one of the most commemorated actors working in Hollywood today.
Kieran Culkin is captivating as a Jewish man seeking to mend his broken bond with his cousin that he regards with affection. While Eisenberg gets the showier role, Culkin is equally excellent as a Jewish man facing an emotional toll. Culkin has always had an aptitude for playing emotionally damaged characters, and “A Real Pain” showcased his strengths as a performer. Whether he’s mourning the loss of his grandmother that’s heartbreaking or bonding with a cousin, Culkin uses strong expressions to create a character that’s compelling. It’s a magnificent performance from one of the most underrated actors working today.
Finally, “A Real Pain” will earn everyone’s appreciation for portrayal of cousins facing pain. Unlike most movies about dysfunctional families, it tackles themes that everyone would relate to. The film discusses universal themes such as identity, family and trauma which would resonate with everyone. Viewers aren’t required to be Jewish to appreciate it. It delivers a heartwarming message about grief which would resonate with everyone. Therefore, “A Real Pain” is one of those rare one-of-a-kind movies everyone would adore.
Fans of Jesse Eisenberg will definitely appreciate “A Real Pain” and so will movie-goers seeking meaningful entertainment. A mesmerizing masterpiece, it proves that stories about dysfunctional cousins are worth telling in movies.
A captivating portrait of challenging barriers experienced by cousins facing loss that’s devastating, it’s a riveting reminder that Cinema is a powerful art-form that can capture hardships experienced by dysfunctional families whose engaging stories are definitely without a single doubt worth telling in movies.
As strong as David’s bond with his cousin, it has given me the motivation to move on several years after ending my life-changing relationship with a relative that caused real pain leaving me heartbroken following his revelations of sexual orientation by treasuring a close companion that shaped my lifelong filmmaking passion.
5/5 stars
The Film Buff 