A Real Pain (2024)
January 12, 2025 9:51 AM - Subscribe
Mismatched cousins reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother, but their old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. Available to stream in Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video and YouTube. Official Trailer.
This is a lovely cinematic experience, well written with god characterisation, both moving and funny, excellent visuals. Kieran Culkin delivers a sustained man-out-of-place getting many laughs while Eisenberg stunned me with his dramatic turn.
I left and said that it's kind-of simple, a short stint in the lives of a bunch of people, but that's what cinema is good for, it's a great experience. Please: more like this.
posted by k3ninho at 3:38 PM on January 13 [4 favorites]
I left and said that it's kind-of simple, a short stint in the lives of a bunch of people, but that's what cinema is good for, it's a great experience. Please: more like this.
posted by k3ninho at 3:38 PM on January 13 [4 favorites]
My wife and I watched this on Saturday night. I enjoyed it, but I likely would have also enjoyed a movie that was just Jesse and Kieran having dinner together in real-time for 90 minutes. Their dynamic was terrific and their personalities are such an interesting contrast.
My wife liked the movie even more than me, and was struck by how Kieran's character was so wildly empathic, but veered chaotically between using his empathy to connect with people, and weaponizing it to push people away.
posted by joelhunt at 6:04 AM on January 14 [3 favorites]
My wife liked the movie even more than me, and was struck by how Kieran's character was so wildly empathic, but veered chaotically between using his empathy to connect with people, and weaponizing it to push people away.
posted by joelhunt at 6:04 AM on January 14 [3 favorites]
This was a beautiful movie: funny and tragic. The characters were just so well observed.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 7:33 AM on January 17
posted by TheophileEscargot at 7:33 AM on January 17
A couple of links. This Esquire article on the ending had an interview quote:
I thought this reddit discussion of neurodiversity in the movie was interesting too.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 1:50 AM on January 18
Speaking with Total Film, Eisenberg said: “This is a story about how people change and evolve and the way history changes and evolves… It’s the same thing with personal relationships, at some point that thing you want from the other person is not gonna be the thing they’re giving you, and this is kind of what this movie is about. They’re going to love each other for ever, but they’re probably not going to be as close as they have been. That’s the feeling of the movie.
“It’s a bittersweet ending and I guess it’s my take on life, which is, there’s a kind of bittersweetness of things. But I think we would have made a lot more money if he [Benji] went home for dinner with me. I was told by a big Hollywood director ‘if you want to make a billion dollars, have him go home at the end’. I was like ‘Yeah, I don’t think I wanna make that movie’.”
I thought this reddit discussion of neurodiversity in the movie was interesting too.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 1:50 AM on January 18
Finally just watched this. Myself I am from Polish ancestry.
The part that hit me most was when David is like how is our grandmother’s legacy this messed up cousin. The woman who survived by a thousand little miracles and now represented by this messy kid. But the point is, actually he is *exactly* her legacy - this is what three generations removed from a war looks like. Surface level functional; rife with pain and issues underneath.
The part about the cousin feeling amazing when his grandmother slapped him for being late as a dumb teen was a beautiful nuanced story. Like you cared enough to hurt me. (I mean clearly take this in context I’m not advocating abuse.) but like in a world where we get by with surface connections but finally someone holds you to account.
Lots of layers here what a great movie.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:50 PM on March 9 [1 favorite]
The part that hit me most was when David is like how is our grandmother’s legacy this messed up cousin. The woman who survived by a thousand little miracles and now represented by this messy kid. But the point is, actually he is *exactly* her legacy - this is what three generations removed from a war looks like. Surface level functional; rife with pain and issues underneath.
The part about the cousin feeling amazing when his grandmother slapped him for being late as a dumb teen was a beautiful nuanced story. Like you cared enough to hurt me. (I mean clearly take this in context I’m not advocating abuse.) but like in a world where we get by with surface connections but finally someone holds you to account.
Lots of layers here what a great movie.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:50 PM on March 9 [1 favorite]
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posted by mcstayinskool at 10:45 AM on January 13 [4 favorites]