A Real Pain
15
Written, directed by and co-starring Jesse Eisenberg alongside a scene-stealing Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
is a deft and moving dramedy.
Intended by Eisenberg to explore “epic pain vs. modern pain”, it sees neurotic, hyper-articulate David (Eisenberg, playing not at all against type) and chaotic misfit Benji rub up against each other on a group trip for Jewish Americans that’s counterintuitively led by a non-Jewish Brit (Will Sharpe) and takes in Warsaw, Lublin and Majdanek Concentration Camp as well as their grandmother’s last home in Poland.
Details
“Jesse Eisenberg has just given us a masterpiece. This is an effortlessly witty, fluent and astringent comedy with a very serious overcurrent.”
The Guardian
“Perfectly weighted between bleak and warm, poignant and irreverent.”
The Times
“Culkin turns in a truly touching and unforgettable performance.”
Little White Lies