Jesse Eisenberg's second feature A REAL PAIN is a real success. Partially based on the true story of Eisenberg visiting Poland to see the house where his grandmother lived, A REAL PAIN touches on the authentic and powerful experiences many generations of Jewish families have sadly had to learn. Of course, other cultures have had extremely traumatic experiences that unfortunately have to be learned with each new generation, but A REAL PAIN is focused on a pair of Jewish cousins who unite on a tour of Poland. The cousins, played by Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin, have complete opposite personalities and perspectives on life. As Eisenberg said in the Q&A "Kieran said something to me which I never even contemplated before. He said he likes to "live… in the moment". 

The film is equal parts funny and somber. It is a constant back-and-forth that never feels out of place thanks to the great writing and performances by the two leads. The cousins go on a tour of Poland that includes many nuggets of Jewish history in the country, and includes a visit to a concentration camp. The scene at the camp is extraordinarily powerful and gives you a sense of the harrowing feeling it must be to walk through those doors. The trip comes to an end when they visit the house their grandmother lived in before she escaped the holocaust. It is a touching moment that surpassed the silver screen for me. Learning that this is the impetus of the film in the Q&A should have never been a surprise to me because it is by far the most humanizing moment of the entire film. 

I still believe that this film could have been even better with a stronger directorial performance but that is in no way intended to offend Eisenberg. I think he did a remarkable job with the script and his performance, but the film ended up being a road trip dramedy (albeit a fantastic one) when it had real potential to be an all time favorite of mine. That being said, no complaints! Great film and I am eager to see Eisenberg's next feature.