Life has a funny way of taking us on strange individual journeys, especially in this day and age of utter atomization and hyper-individualism. A Real Pain explores some of these dynamics, and is a subtle cry for community in a world which constantly seeks to divide us based on a variety of factors. It’s also about how we process today’s traumas as opposed to history’s most horrific events — we tend to discount our own pain and our own history, even when it is very, very real. It’s also an incredibly funny film, comedically anchored by the once-in-a-generation performance of Kieran Culkin as Benji.
Benji and David (writer-director-star Jesse Eisenberg) are two thirty-something cousins who were very close in their childhoods, teen years, and twenties, but whose lives have trailed off in opposite directions. David has a good job, a beautiful home in New York City, a wife, and a young son. Benji is a drifter who only recently stopped living in his mother’s basement. Despite his mental health struggles, life situation, and frequent brashness, Benji actually has many enviable qualities, and we see all sides of him through David’s eyes. Where David is socially awkward in a quiet and reserved way, Benji’s awkwardness stems from his lack of fear in saying exactly what he means in every moment. When the pair take a Holocaust tour through Poland in commemoration of their late grandmother, these distinctions in character and lifestyle come to a head, but never in an unbelievable way. The plot of the film is never overcooked, which allows it to remain an exploration of these themes, rather than a wacky comedy, despite a fair few moments of wackiness.
A great deal of the film’s subtlety stems from the rest of the tour group’s reactions to Benji’s manic moments. There are certainly those within the group who can’t stand him, but there are realistic ebbs and flows to how they interact with him. You could accuse him of essentially being the “ugly American,” but he is genuinely interested in other people, and his outbursts occur mainly because he feels things so deeply. Because most of the tour group sees this, he makes friends with a few of them despite his more regrettable moments. David is just as complicated of a person, but that rarely bubbles to the surface amid Benji’s antics. However, one moment where Benji excuses himself from a group dinner leads to David opening up to the group about just how much he cares about Benji, but how conflicted Benji makes him feel. After this emotional admission, the group turn their heads to find that Benji has started playing the piano in the restaurant. We never know whether Benji heard any of what David said, but the soul emanating from Benji in this moment speaks louder than words.
Through those and many other moments, Eisenberg and Culkin demonstrate an adherence to subtlety over cliché. This keeps the film’s themes pure and uncluttered. The minimal amount of backstory and the larger amount of unanswered questions regarding both characters’ day-to-day lives keep the film honest. It’s not just a collection of awkward moments, rather, these moments are variations on a theme. Culkin’s performance emphasizes how deeply felt Benji’s emotions really are. He’s not just brash for brashness’ sake, he’s brash because he’s a little bit lost. No matter where we are in life, I think it’s safe to say we’re all a little bit lost in some way or another. There are parts of Benji and David in all of us. What matters is the ever-available choice to connect with others and form community. Maybe we’d all find our way a little easier if we treated cousins like brothers. | George Napper
A Real Pain was the opening night film for the 2024 St. Louis International Film Festival. Further information about the Festival, which runs Nov. 7-17, is available from the Festival web site.
