A Real Pain

⭐ 8/10

This seemed like a good fit to watch on the day that Elon Musk gave a Nazi salute to an adoring crowd. 2 cousins go visit the motherland, learning about the pain of their ancestors and expressing a bit of their own pain.  Eisenberg and Culkin are doing two characters that they have done over and over, so much so that I feel like these are actually their personalities.  I liked their dynamic, and I thought they played off each other well, although the conflict was obvious from the moment you meet them.

I thought this movie looked really pretty in a cute and compact way. Obviously not a huge budget, but who needs ones?  Emotional scenes in small restaurants and rooftops pack emotional punches, even if I can barely empathize with Culkin's character. He is beyond annoying, and I don't think the Eisenberg character actually wants to be like him at all, but seeing how his tour groups barely say goodbye to him but all have kind words for his cousin hit me in a personal way.

The whole thing leading up to the visiting of a concentration camp, and how that was shown to us was really impactful. The final destination was cute but also not expected, and I almost hoped for more of a White Lotus season 2 homecoming, where its not only slightly disappointing but you are outright rejected by the past you are trying to claim. But them parting ways was what I found most bleak, and even though he's the type of person I could never stand I felt really bad for Culkin.

I think Culkin's reaction to riding first class on the train was interesting and I have still been thinking about that, how he can't compartmentalize the pain happening around him in the past so he just spews his emotions everywhere. We have access to so much information and news about terrible things happening everywhere and I feel like I've really been dwelling in that this year, with my inner Eisenberg telling me to be an adult and worry about what I can control. Felt like a perfect warmup for the next film I watched...