A Real Pain is a deceptively simple film. There’s not a lot going on on the surface, but Eisenberg’s smart script and tight direction, coupled with Culkin’s firecracker performance fuel the film with heart and infectious energy. A Real Pain shines when it focuses on the cousins’ bondat once pained and precious—but it also works as a strong ensemble of realistic characters, and as a heartfelt tribute to the Holocaust victims of the region. Eisenberg does an excellent job of tying the characters’ flaws and emotions with the horrors of the past. It deals with heavy stuff, but there’s an impressive restraint at play here, even during Eisenberg and Culkin’s big moments. They’re moving (but never overly sentimental) and truly memorable.
"It’s a strange movie -- far better as a concept than as a drama, though the concept is strong enough to provide a sense of inner experience, making up for what the outer, onscreen experience lacks."
— Richard Brody
"... it is also distinctly a film about the boundaries and limits of love."
— Katherine McLaughlin
Mismatched cousins David and Benji reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the pair's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.
Cousins Dave (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) go on a Holocaust remembrance tour in Poland in honor of their recently deceased grandmother while battling their personal demons along the way.
Eisenberg may be the writer and director, but Culkin is the true standout. Culkin has an uncanny ability to make you tear up with the minutest movements and facial gestures. The guy’s gonna win an Oscar soon, no doubt.
For a very specific film fan, Eisenberg and Culkin finally being in a film together feels like a dream come true.
Oscars
1 win, 1 nomination
Golden Globes
1 win, 3 nominations
BAFTA
2 wins
SAG Awards
1 win
Spirit Awards
2 wins
Sundance
1 win
WGA
1 nomination
Nat. Board of Review
2 wins
NYFCC
1 win
LAFCA
2 wins
Why the F is this listed in the Comedy section?