Reviews of the Movie, A Real Pain

The Movie, A Real Pain is scheduled at our Cinema tonite, at 7PM. I am planning to watch it. It has excellent reviews and the music is almost all classical Chopin music.  The following are two of several 4-5 stars critics review. “A Real Pain” has earned the following two Oscar nominations:

Best supporting actor, Kieran Culkin

Best original screenplay

Read this review if you are not concerned about a Spoiler Alert! 

" A Real Pain is a lovely story of estranged cousins reconnecting after the death of their Polish grandmother by of taking a trip to Poland on a guided tour. The leads are played by Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin. Benji (Culkin) is a free spirit with a warm and honest sense of humor who is confident and funny, and while these traits are organic to his personality he uses these traits to cover up the pain and sadness that lies within him. David (Eisenberg) a father and husband with a career who is uncomfortable with emotion but has a big heart who cares deeply about his cousin. 

Although cousins they feel like great friends from childhood that took different paths and through a tragic event find the oppurtune time to reconnect. I related to both characters. Benji in that he is well practiced at masking his pain through humor so that he doesn't have to talk about it and David, in that although I'm not married and don't have kids I took the safe career path which provides a level of security but have found there's a longing for more from life. 

The setting of Poland is shot beautifully and the tour locations are appropriate in helping the characters grieve and deal w their inner turmoil. The side characters in the tour group feel like real people you would meet on a tour like this. Nothing in the film feels forced, especially there not being a contrived love story which often happens in films of similar themes and ultimately detracts from the central story. 

The glue of the film is the score. Instead of using contemporary pop music, the music is classical, primarily Chopin, is tonally perfect and doesn't overshadow the story but matches the mood of the characters melancholy. The movie perfectly bookends itself and doesnt have the typical tie up the bow ending. Eisenberg's direction, the acting (especially Culkin) and all other technical aspects of the film are superb and were handled w care. Theres a perfect blend of humor and inner sadness that looms over the central characters. I would recommend this film to anyone, especially families and most especially families of Jewish heritage. Hats off to Eisenberg on his directorial debut. 5/5

Here's Another Review:

 A Real Pain explores the concept of pain in a nuanced way: the pain of losing a loved one, the pain of dealing with a challenging family member, and the generational pain of having a family’s future stolen. The film captures how different people cope with these pains: David, Benji, the other tour participants, and even the tour guide, as they confront the events of the Holocaust, visit a Polish Jewish cemetery, and tour the Majdanek concentration camp. The message is clear: to cope with pain healthily, we must face it head-on in our own way. This journey of confronting pain is essential for building our resilience and strength.

Pain is what connects us to our humanity, reminding us that we are truly alive. During the trip, Benji recounts a painful memory: their grandmother once slapped him in a New York City restaurant because he arrived late for dinner. She had dressed up for the occasion, and the public slap left Benji feeling real pain. However, he acknowledges that this act of accountability, though hurtful, came from a place of love. Benji yearns for this kind of tough love from others, particularly from David. He craves someone who can hold him back from his impulsive tendencies, showing him care and affection in the process.

A poignant moment in the film occurs when David and Benji visit their late grandmother’s former house in Poland. The home is now owned by another family, and any traces of the Kaplans’ presence have long vanished. In a touching gesture, David places a stone in front of the house to honor their grandmother’s memory. However, the moment takes a humorous yet bittersweet turn when an elderly Polish man chastises them. He misunderstands their intention, believing the stone was placed maliciously to cause harm to the current elderly resident. Despite their efforts to explain the Jewish tradition of placing stones as a memorial to remember their deceased grandmother, the older man remains unconvinced despite his son’s English to Polish translation of their reasoning for having placed the stone there. Feeling awkward about the entire encounter, David and Benji decide to take the stone with them when they leave Poland.

In a beautifully symbolic gesture upon his return to New York, David later places the stone at the entrance of his Brooklyn home, where he lives with his wife and child. This act underscores the universal idea that “home is where the heart is.” While the memory of the family’s life in Poland has faded, their grandmother’s legacy endures. Her journey as an immigrant to America, striving to build a new life for her family while preserving her Jewish identity, continues to inspire her descendants, including David and Benji.

As the film concludes, the audience is left wondering about the futures of David and Benji’s relationship and their individual paths. The heritage trip and their shared memories of their grandmother seem to strengthen their bond. The film suggests that, despite their differences, family is ultimately the one thing you can rely upon in life. While Benji and David drive each other crazy, they also admire and need each other. The hope is that they will continue to support one another, bringing balance to each other’s lives with David finding more spontaneity and emotional authenticity, and Benji discovering greater stability and purpose.

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