After his directorial debut When You Finish Saving The World, many have been eager to see what Jesse Eisenberg would deliver next. Fast-forward to 2024 and he presents his newest film A Real Pain, his most tender and personal film to date. Combine Eisenberg's directing talents with the sharp acting skills of Succession's Kieran Culkin and you have the recipe for a great film.
A Real Pain follows cousins David and Benji as they tour Poland in honour of their recently deceased grandmother. The trip starts to take a turn when old issues raise tensions between the two relatives as they attempt to observe and respect the history of their family in the process.
This film gets a lot of elements right and juggles them all on a tight wire for the entirety of its 90-minute runtime. Its comedy is scattered and not relied on every 5 minutes. The film knows the perfect moments to deliver something funny and never have it overshadow instances of genuine sincerity. A lot of the humour comes from Kieran Culkin's Benji, but even through his performance, he knows exactly when to go all in and when he needs to go for something slightly more subdued. However, when the comedy does hit, which is almost every time, it works so incredibly well in lightening up a scene or defusing any tension there may have been beforehand.
The performances across the board are also fantastic. Obviously, Culkin is the clear standout and delivers arguably one of the strongest performances of the year, but the rest of the cast also get their chance to shine as well. Eisenberg as David perfectly bounces off of Benji's chaotic presence with his reserved nature, leading to some hilarious but also emotionally cathartic scenes. There is also the other people on the tour group who are all performed brilliantly for the sake of their characters. Whether its Jennifer Grey as troubled mother Marcia or Kurt Egyiawan as the respectable and collected Eloge.
Eisenberg's direction is something that should also be heavily praised. The way in which he frames and paces the film can be patient one second and frenetic the next. Nowhere is this better represented than in a scene where the group visit a concentration camp for the first time. Any boisterous energy or comedic opportunities are carefully pushed to the side as the camera just observes these characters taking in the weight of what they're witnessing. It's a simple but effective scene that truly emphasises the significance of why these characters are on this trip in the first place.
A Real Pain is both hilarious and incredibly heartfelt. It almost feels effortless in its execution as it bounces from moments of comedic genius to tender character driven emotion. The way Eisenberg has written and directed this film is miraculous and allows his thoughts to fully come through whilst giving these great actors the chance to show what they can do.
A Real Pain is currently screening at London Film Festival 2024 and will be released in UK cinemas on 10th January.