A Real Pain (2024)

A Real Pain (2024). 1h 30m | R

“A Real Painu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs an American of Polish descent, A Real Pain interested me with the premise. Two cousins had lost their grandmother, and they chose to visit Poland where she had come from, and escaped the Holocaust. The film then hits you hard in the feels with the literal, figurative, metaphorical and emotional definitions of A Real Pain.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eKieran Culkin is absolutely phenomenal in this film playing Benji, who is so lost in the world after his grandmotheru0026#39;s death, that the pain erupts in ways that are heartbreaking and understandable.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI related to the character a lot because Benji clearly shows signs of bipolar disorder that manifests in emotions so strong that you feel them along with him. He can express silliness, sadness, intense grief, human sentimentality, joy and frustration all at the same time. Itu0026#39;s dizzying but itu0026#39;s so raw and real.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eJesse Eisenberg, playing his cousin David, does his usual character of bumbling anxiety that is growing tiresome. But in this film, it works, because David tends to play the role of the mirror reflecting back to Benji what itu0026#39;s like to not experience the pain. The characters play well off each other as one feels too much, and one doesnu0026#39;t feel at all.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis film was spectacular. Itu0026#39;s filled with so much emotional nuance that I want to see it again just to watch Benjiu0026#39;s body language and facial expressions again as my heart is ripped apart along with his. The plot itself is very basic, but itu0026#39;s the impact on the characters that is most important.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI havenu0026#39;t even commented on the other characters in the film, but theyu0026#39;re just as important. Everyone interacts with Benji in such a way that it just gets more and more real and relatable.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eUgh! Go see this. Itu0026#39;s a roller coaster.”