50/30

Plot

Mismatched cousins David and Benji reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother

The adventure takes a turn when the odd-couple's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.. When Benji and David visit their grandmother's home in Poland, the location is where Jesse Eisenberg's real-life ancestors settled in diaspora.. Benji Kaplan: We stay moving, we stay light, we stay agile.David Kaplan: Yeah.Benji Kaplan: The conductor’s gonna come through, taking tickets, we tell him we’re going to the bathroom.David Kaplan: Bathroom.Benji Kaplan: He gets to the back of the train, he starts heading towards the front looking for stragglers.David Kaplan: Sorry, we’re the stragglers?Benji Kaplan: Yeah.

We shouldn’t have to pay for train tickets in Poland

By the time he gets to the front, the train’s gonna be in the station and we’re home free.David Kaplan: This is so fucking stupid. Tickets are probably like twelve bucks.Benji Kaplan: It’s the principle of the thing. This is our country.David Kaplan: No, it’s not, it was our country.

Featured in CBS News Sunday Morning: Episode #4644 (2024)

They kicked us out ’cause they thought we were cheap.. (Watched at a preview in Bristol as part of the London Film Festival)I had high hopes for "A Real Pain" but despite a handful of funny moments and emotional speeches there are simply far too many areas where it misses the mark.The biggest positive is Jesse Eisenberg himself. The writer/director anchors the film as awkward-yet-successful New Yorker David, who invites his cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin) on a trip to Poland to pay respect to their grandmother and reflect on their personal struggles.

Eisenberg is believable and sympathetic, and is at the heart of the best scenesBut Culkin is simply annoying

It is an energetic performance, no doubt about it, but his volatility and inability to read a situation means that he is the kind of person you would try to get away from within minutes of meeting them. It's hard to believe that he becomes the star attraction of the tour group.Will Sharpe is also very weak as the tour guide, putting on an effete Yorkshire accent for comedy effect – perhaps American ears may not be so bothered by it but these British ears were very disappointed. The role would have been far stronger if played straight.The other cast members have small roles but Jennifer Grey (yes, THE Jennifer Grey) and Kurt Egyiawan stand out, adding authenticity to their characters.Aside from the variable performances, there is a general sense that the scenes were improvised and workshopped as they went along.

A missed opportunity

Situations develop, or are implied to have developed, without any obvious cause or resolution. For a drama to succeed – and at heart, this is a drama – there needs to be a tautness to the script and story development that "A Real Pain" lacks. Any momentum that builds up slips away easily – I was looking at my watch after half an hour, and the film feels long even though it runs for less than 90 minutes.Oh, and there are times when it feels like a promotion for the Polish tourist board – don't get me wrong, it made me want to visit, I just don't think that is the role of a feature film."A Real Pain" hints at having something important to say about grief, but it never finds the right words.