“Isn’t everyone in pain in some way?”, a character in the movie asserts. This film explores how pain is experienced from the mundane to the macabre throughout our lives while walking the planet. It is a reflective and introspective look at how we must strive to find ways to be resilient, bouncing back from all of the trials and tribulations with which we encounter.
The movie primarily focuses upon two cousins (Jesse Eisenberg & Kieran Culkin) who join a “pilgrimage/holocaust” tour group in Poland in order to visit the town and actual house of their recently deceased Grandmother (who specifically earmarked funding from her estate to pay for the trip). David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Culkin) get a lot more than they bargained for when the emotionally-charged tour stirs up deep-seated feelings from their own past memories and present situations/life choices. David is a married, young father living in NYC with a demanding digital sales position. He is an introverted, obsessive-compulsive, and intensely caring person who is deeply concerned about the well-being of his highly extroverted cousin, Benji, who moves through life in a far more spontaneous and unconventional fashion. Their complex relationship unfolds in spectacular, and at times unpredictable, fashion whilst traveling with a small tour group in Poland.
The World’s Most Indispensable Movie App
The RunPee app tells you the best times to
run & pee during a movie
so you don't miss the best scenes.
Download the RunPee app.
100% free (donation supported)
The film is rather original, in its own right, however distinct similarities are easily to the series of Indie movies such as “The Trip to Italy”, “The Trip to Greece”, etc. wherein the “bromance” between Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon is highlighted while taking “Bourdain-like” trips across a European country. As such, the trip itself serves as the primary instrument to better understand character’s lives, choices, regrets, and hopes. The cousins learn all about the Polish/Jewish culture and history which includes a somber visit to a death camp which murdered many thousands of Poles, mostly of the Jewish population.
So far, this movie sounds super depressing, right? On the contrary such that there are numerous scenes/lines which provide much-needed comic relief. (Unfortunately, the very best comic bits have already been seen by many in the trailers). In any case, along with this movie being a highly contemplative one regarding our experience of “real pain”, it also is very entertaining through lively dialogue and interaction amongst the deeply interesting characters (tour group members) whilst our joining them on this fascinating tour.
As for the acting, the chemistry between the Eisenberg and Culkin characters is synergistically outstanding. As such, they deliver excellent performances. In addition, having personally taken some of these “geriatric tours” as Culkin’s character humorously dubs it, the fellow tour group members are extremely believable, in their own right, such that we grow to empathize with their challenges and “pain”, themselves.
What people are saying
about the RunPee app.
July 30, 2023
My bladder thanks you so much!! App works great for telling u when and for how long you have a pee break! I didn’t use the timer function so the dialog in the movie was a great clue as to when to go. I also liked the info about each movie to know whether there was any extra scenes during or after the credits. Nothing worse than waiting for all the credits and then no extra scene.
View all reviews
Apple App Store | Google Play Store
Download RunPee app
Finally, as this is “Eisenberg’s baby” such that he wrote, directed, and starred in it, he should be lauded for creating a terrific Indie for us all to enjoy. Well done, Jesse!!
Grade: A
About The Peetimes: It was not difficult to identify two workable Peetimes for this movie. The first is slightly more optimal because it is the longer of the two.
There are no extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of A Real Pain.
Rated: | R) Some Drug Use | Language Throughout |
Genres: | Comedy, Drama |
USA release date: | 2024-11-01 |
Movie length: | |
Starring: | Kieran Culkin, Jesse Eisenberg, Olha Bosova |
Director: | Jesse Eisenberg |
Writer(s): | Jesse Eisenberg |
Language: | English |
Country: | United States, Poland |
Plot
Mismatched cousins David and Benji reunite for a tour through 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.
Don’t miss your favorite movie moments because you have to pee or need a snack. Use the RunPee app (Androidor iPhone) when you go to the movies. We have Peetimes for all wide release films every week, including Here, Venom: The Last Ride , Transformers One, The Wild Robot and coming soon Red One, Wiked, Gladiator II, Moana 2 and many others. We have literally thousands of Peetimes—from classic movies through today’s blockbusters. You can also keep up with movie news and reviews on our blog, or by following us on Twitter @RunPee. If there’s a new film out there, we’ve got your bladder covered.
Leave a Reply