Jesse Eisenberg’s second feature as writer-director tells the story of two cousins journeying to Poland in tribute of their recently deceased grandmother, by way of a holocaust tour group.
The once-close-now-distant cousins hope to reconnect not only with the tragedy of their ancestry, but with each other. A gentle drama-comedy in the vein of Noah Baumbach or Alexander Payne, the simple plot allows the complexities of character to take centre stage.
Eisenberg is David, the socially awkward, anxiety-ridden cousin, a familiar role Eisenberg has been playing his entire career. David’s meek politeness contrasts with Kieran Culkin’s Benji, the more confident, extrovert cousin, who is at once sentimental and vulgar; earnest and flippant; generous and selfish, but always well-meaning. Benji is magnetic in the truest sense – he can attract as strongly as he can repel, and Culkin does well to find the balance between being endearing and annoying. It’s a meaty role, and he is clearly having fun with it.
The supporting cast that make up the rest of the holocaust tour group provide delicate pathos. They are a varied bunch, from all walks of life, but all share the grief of the Jewish genocide. As one character says “I didn’t expect to be crying within the first five minutes of meeting you all”. It is telling that the role of the British tour leader was originally written for comedian Richard Ayoade, but he declined, stating he would be too distracting for the sensitive subject matter. Eisenberg wisely agreed and cast the more understated Will Sharpe instead. That’s not to say the rest of the cast do not inject some welcome levity – one particularly touching scene at a war memorial demonstrates that honouring the fallen doesn’t always have to be a sombre affair. The group bond and share laughter as a means of paying their respects. Eisenberg has a good eye for when to let the laughs play out, and when to show restraint. A scene in which the group visits a concentration camp is played out in complete silence, as they take in the horrors of what holocaust victims suffered. A special mention must go to Kurt Egyiawan’s Rwandan genocide survivor and recent Jewish convert, Eloge. Dignified, humble and philosophical, he is a poignant reminder that such horrors are by no means as distant as a history tour would have you believe.
At a zippy 90 minutes (including credits), more time would have been appreciated to develop the characters a little deeper. A significant revelation from David at the midpoint could have held more weight, more heartache, if only Eisenberg had the confidence to go at a slower pace and give his character beats more time to breathe. With a cast this warm and likeable, no one is going to begrudge spending a few more minutes in their company. Nonetheless, A Real Pain is a tender exploration of how to accept the trauma of the past whilst remaining positive about the future.
A Real Pain is screening at Plymouth Arts Cinema from 24th – 30th January.
Reviewed by Matthew Onuki Luke
