⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (out of 5)
Actor Jesse Eisenberg, known for films like The Social Network, Zombieland and Now You See Me, has recently turned his talents towards writing and directing. His second directorial work premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year to rave reviews and recently opened the Jewish International Film Festival in Sydney.
A Real Pain follows two mismatched Jewish cousins, David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) who reunite for a tour through Poland to honour their beloved grandmother Dory after her passing. But their adventure takes a turn when the pair’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history in a poignant pilgrimage that’s deeply personal and profoundly amusing in its exploration of intergenerational trauma and healing.
The film is a brilliantly, beautifully, hilariously direct and empathetic examination of the human condition, the pain of intergenerational trauma and the power of familial healing. Culkin and Eisenberg are both incredible. Benji and Dave grew up almost as brothers but drifted apart as one moved on with life. At the same time, the other remained stuck in arrested development. For outgoing and zealous Benji, this trip is to honour their grandmother. Still, for neurotic Dave, it’s also an opportunity to reconnect with Benji, for whom his concern has grown.
By pilgrimaging through Poland, the film also explores the history of the Jewish people in Eastern Europe. As director, Eisenberg manages to perfectly balance and pace tones, giving appropriate depth and pause to moments of deep historical pain while alleviating the tension with the crackling comedic dialogue. It’s an impressive balancing act to juggle tones, moving from harrowing Holocaust reminders to explosive, energetic tourist escapades.
For anyone who has ever sought to connect with their family heritage to find healing for intergenerational trauma, A Real Pain is likely to resonate. This unconventional journey is expected to resonate with anyone Jewish who has experienced the complex experience of faith, identity, culture, and history. A Real Pain is likely to resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to connect with a family member or felt overshadowed by them. In fact, there is likely something that everyone will come to resonate with from within the witty and wonderful screenplay and story of Jesse Eisenberg's film, which is a real winner.
Reel Dialogue: The Suffering Servant
A Real Pain is a film that seeks to explore the historical suffering of Jews in Eastern Europe, and the contemporary pain of two Jewish cousins and their mismatched personalities. It examines how pain is a present reality regardless of status, class, ethnicity, religion, personality, and more. Pain is a result of a fallen world.
The Bible contains plenty of history about the pain of Jews – God’s chosen people, freed from slavery, only to grumble, then forced to walk in the wilderness, before being allowed into the Promised Land, only to eventually rebel against Him, be taken into exile, and scattered among the nations. But from these pain-ridden people, a suffering servant would emerge, Jesus Christ. Who died not just for the Jews, but for the entire world. Have you met this suffering servant?
“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.” John 4:22
