A Real Pain
2024
***½
Director: Jesse Eisenberg
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, Daniel Oreskes, Ellora Torchia
Benji and David, Jewish American cousins who are like chalk and cheese, travel to Poland to attend a Holocaust tour and learn more about the past of their recently passed grandmother. Jesse Eisenberg's second film behind the camera is a likeable drama comedy that deals with pain, grief, and resilience. His script has some poignant moments, but I feel it doesn't go deep enough to leave a lasting memory. Eisenberg and the Oscar-winning Culkin give strong performances, even if the two always seem to play the same characters, a bumbling neurotic and an obnoxious loudmouth, respectively.
