A Real Pain

David and Benji are cousins who decide to take a weeklong vacation together after drifting apart during the past few years.  As they are Jewish and their late grandmother was Polish, they spend the week on a guided Holocaust tour to the Majdanek concentration camp.  David (Jesse Eisenberg) is reserved and professional, with a family and career.  Benji (Kieran Culkin) is a still-single free spirit with seemingly no direction in life, and a propensity to embarrass himself (and his cousin) at many an inopportune moment.

Eisenberg & Culkin

Eisenberg wrote the original screenplay and directed “A Real Pain” – whose title could refer to Benji or to the whole idea of the Holocaust.  So, while this project is Eisenberg’s baby, he gives Culkin the chance to shine in the film’s key role.  Culkin makes the most of it, turning in perhaps the best performance of his career.  On the one hand, the Benji character is annoying, rude, and profane; on the other hand, he’s the type who instantly connects with anyone and everyone.  The others on the intimate tour take an instant liking to him, while still feeling his cousin’s constant chagrin.

Other characters

The others include their British tour guide James (Will Sharpe), an older Jewish couple, an African scholar, and a middle-aged Jewish divorcee, played by Jennifer Grey, in the film’s most intriguing supporting performance.  She gives the impression she simply wants to be left alone to experience the tour quietly and serenely.  So, of course Benji approaches her – at first in his typical annoying manner – but he somehow gets her to open up, and just like that, she’s more an active member of the group.  Benji simply has this effect on people.  He can certainly upset them, but his zest for life overcomes all his shortcomings.

Outbursts

As the tour progresses, Benji’s outbursts become increasingly harsh – even halting the tour during a stop in a Jewish cemetery to loudly tell James what he needs to do to improve the tour.  And what would that be?  Benji wants fewer facts and figures, but more “feeling” as it relates to the Holocaust.  Fewer facts and figures?  But that’s what a tour guide does!  David is obviously ashamed of his cousin, and the others are uncomfortable.  And so “A Real Pain” continues, as Benji’s outbursts and actions become ever more relentless, and David becomes less in sync with his cousin.

During a group dinner, Benji drinks too much, speaks too loudly and directly, and leaves the table in a huff – and not before burping aloud, embarrassing himself and the entire group.  But a few minutes later, he sits down at the piano and entertains the entire restaurant with some beautiful music.  Such is his cognitive dissonance.

On a train ride, Benji fails to awaken his sleeping cousin when their stop approaches.  They miss their stop, and are forced to backtrack on a second train, thereby forcing the rest of the group to wait – and potentially delay their itinerary.  Such is his irresponsibility.

Unique and absorbing

If this seems like an odd set-up for a motion picture, I’ll grant you that, but I’ll also say this is one of the most unique and absorbing films of the year.  David and Benji have a lot of backstory, and a bevy of strong feelings toward one another.  The most alluring scenes are those alone times, where the two leads are in their hotel room together simply sharing their emotions and stories of their youth.  This is where we really get to know them.

Realistic ending

And while some might find the ending abrupt – at least in the sense that all the loose ends are not tied together in a neat little bow – I find it more than adequate, in that “A Real Pain” is rooted in reality.  The Benji character may seem a little over the top, but this is a story that could take place in real life.  Not all loose ends are tied up in real life.  And this is part of what makes “A Real Pain” so captivating.  This is one of the best films of the year.

 

 

 

 

 

Andy Ray‘s reviews also appear on https://townepost.com/