A Real Pain

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Jesse Eisenberg makes his directorial debut on a subject very close to his heart, which follows the story of two brotherly-like cousins who embark on a journey across Poland, not only to educate themselves on the struggles of their family heritage throughout the Holocaust era, but to honour their late Grandmother who suffered throughout those years.

Although on the surface this film may seem like a light-hearted comedy about two cousins and their journey through Central Europe, once the layers are carefully peeled back, what is revealed is a story that heavily associates itself with the concept of generational pain, and whether we choose to ignore it, or accept and face it head on.

The term 'pain' possesses various meanings throughout this film. It is mostly used as a way of describing the emotions felt by the Jewish members of the Holocaust era and the immense suffering they were put through. But it is also used as a term of describing the character of Benji, who is perfectly brought to life in this film by Kieran Culkin.

Benji is someone who is more than capable of lighting up a room and everyone inside it with the energy he provides, his charisma and charm allows him to become friends with everyone he comes across. But as we see very clearly in this film, Benji's positive attitude towards life comes in small doses, as he eventually shows a slightly darker and more negative side to his personality that causes 'a real pain' to those around him.

Kieran Culkin is a force to be reckoned with in this film and it's hard to envisage the character of Benji being played by anyone else. Director and co-star Jesse Eisenberg said it best himself when he revealed that Culkin bagged the role not because of the success of an audition or any previous work he had done, but because of the "essence" that he provides.

Benji is a character that requires a lot from the actor that is hired to portray him. His constant moods that swing from positivity and charm to instant disgust and intent to spread onto his peers is something that isn't easy to tackle. But Culkin does an exceptional job in doing so and would be a worthy winner of the Academy Award for his supporting role in this film.

It really is a bold play from Eisenberg to tackle such strong subject matters in his directorial debut, a play that he should be commended for. Handling subjects such as the effects of the Holocaust, generational pain, depression and anxiety are usually deemed toxic to any first-time filmmaker. But Eisenberg's courage and eagerness to tell this story is more than impressive.

The idea of previous trauma and our attitude towards it perfectly aligns with David's (Eisenberg) attitude towards his cousin. Do we ignore it and get on with our lives, pretending as though there are no present-day negative effects. Or do we stare it head on and learn from the trauma that has built our modern day world?

Despite the fact that this film does possess some strong subject matters and some difficult conversations, there is an infinite amount of humour and light-heartedness scattered all over that makes the movie more than an enjoyable watch.

The contrast in personality between our two protagonists and their exchanges in dialogue are extremely entertaining to witness and some of the things that the pair come across on their journey throughout Poland are hilarious.

But at the centre of the film and hidden behind the humour is a story about two cousins who peered off into two completely different directions in life. Two people who were once as close as brothers have now almost become strangers to eachother. And the rekindling of their relationship in this film is one that is certain to touch the heart.

PrimeTime Films Score: B