24/36
David Kaplan: Yes
Tale
Mismatched cousins David and Benji reunite for a tour of Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd couple’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.. When Benji and David visit their grandmother’s house in Poland, the location is where Jesse Eisenberg' Real-life ancestors settled in the diaspora.. Benji Kaplan: We stay moving, we stay light, we stay nimble. Benji Kaplan: The conductor will come by, take tickets, we tell him he’s going to bathe.David Kaplan: Bathe.Benji Kaplan: He gets to the back of the train, starts moving to the front looking for strays.David Kaplan: Sorry, we’re the strays ?Benji Kaplan: Yes. By the time they get to the front, the train will be in the station and we are home free.
This is our country
David Kaplan: That’s so stupid. Tickets are probably like twelve dollars. Benji Kaplan: It’s the principle of the thing. We should not pay for train tickets in Poland. David Kaplan: No, it’s not, it was our country. They kicked us out because they thought we were cheap…
But Culkin is just annoying
Featured on CBS News Sunday Morning: Episode #46.44 (2024). (Seen at a preview in Bristol as part of the London Film Festival) I had high hopes for ‘A Real Pain’; but despite a few funny moments and moving speeches, there are simply far too many areas where it fails. The biggest positive is Jesse Eisenberg himself. The writer/director anchors the film as David, a quirky but successful New Yorker who invites his cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin) on a trip to Poland to pay his respects to his grandmother and reflect on their personal struggles. Eisenberg is believable and likable and is at the center of the best scenes. It’s an energetic performance, no doubt, but his volatility and inability to read a situation means he’s the kind of person you’d try to get rid of within minutes of meeting them.
but these British ears were sorely disappointed
It is hard to believe that he is becoming the star attraction of the tour group. Will Sharpe is also very weak as a tour guide, putting on an effective Yorkshire accent for comedic effect – perhaps American ears might not be so bothered by this. The role would have been much stronger if it had been played straight. The rest of the cast have small roles, but Jennifer Gray (yes, Jennifer Grey) and Kurt Egyiawan stand out, adding authenticity to their characters. Aside from the variable performances, there is a general sense that the scenes were improvised and made up as they went along. Situations develop, or are assumed to have developed, without any obvious cause or solution.
A missed opportunity
For a drama to succeed – and at its core, this is a drama – there must be tension in the script and story development that “A Real Pain”; shortages. Any build-up momentum is easily lost – I was checking the clock after half an hour, and the film feels long, even though it’s less than 90 minutes long. Oh, and there are times when it feels like a promotion for the Polish tourist board – don’t get me wrong, it made me want to visit, I just don’t think that’s the role of a feature film. "A Real Pain" suggests that you have something important to say about the pain, but can never find the right words.
