A Real Pain (2024)
A Real Pain
Where to begin with this. For starters, it’s one of those films that has been a cinematic milestone in my life. You’ll definitely hear me say in the future, “There was life before ‘A Real Pain’, and there’s life after ‘A Real Pain’.” That kind of milestone. I think the last time I felt this way about a recent release was when ‘Asteroid City’ came out. This film is the ‘Asteroid City’ of this year. It had so much depth poured into it, and had so much detail and emotion, especially considering it was only 90 minutes long. It wasn’t too long, so you don’t get bored or feel like it’s wearing out its welcome. But it wasn't too short, and you get plenty of story and a sad yet hopeful look at the characters. I legitimately don’t even know if I can truly put how I feel about this film into words. It’s simply one of the best I’ve ever seen. The cinematography was gorgeous, with fantastic scenery that holds a much deeper meaning than you think. I love the foreign setting, too. It’s a very nice change. The story was so simple yet so good. Two cousins go on a trip and reconnect, with small tensions along the way. Though I can’t necessarily connect to Benji and David’s Jewish heritage, it still felt very personal, and their chemistry was pristine. So natural and so genuine. The performances were amazing, from everyone involved. Jesse Eisenberg is really good as always. The way he plays the straight character and fills in the emotional gap that Benji leaves out was genius writing. I mean, he wrote, directed, starred, and produced this, and there’s no better person that could’ve. But Kieran Culkin, man. I don’t think I’ve seen a character on film that I’ve loved like him in such a long time. He was vulnerable, bouncy, broken, and you just wanted to reach through the screen and give him a hug. And I’ll say this right now: if he doesn’t win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, then I will quit cinema for the rest of my life. You can hold me to that. It would be a shame and a tragedy if he didn’t win. He’s one of the most relatable and well written characters I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Good job, Kieran. Overall, this is one of the best films of the decade, and my new favorite of the year. I would recommend it to all dramedy fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go see it NOW!