Heartland International Film Festival Review: ‘A Real Pain’

Tweet
Review by James Lindorf

For the second year in a row, MovieMaker Magazine has named the Heartland International Film Festival one of “The 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World” and one of “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.” The festival may be over, but you can learn about what made the event so cool by searching for #HIFF33 on social media. Over 11 days organizers hosted 200 filmmakers, 298 screenings, 27 U.S. & World Premieres, 15 special events, and 7500+ virtual streams. Its award winners walked away with a combined $60,000 in cash and prizes and coveted Oscar qualifications for winning Documentary Features.

HIFF commonly uses its opening, centerpiece, and closing nights to highlight films with attention-grabbing names, and this year was no different. This year, they opened the festival with a sold-out screening of its eventual Humor & Humanity Award winner, “A Real Pain,” from Searchlight Pictures and writer, director, and star Jesse Eisenberg. The film follows cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) as they look to honor their recently deceased grandmother by taking a tour through Poland and learning about their family’s history.

If I had to sum up what makes “A Real Pain” a major awards contender and one of my favorite films of the year in a single word, it would be balance. It starts with a balance between the two main characters and the question of nature vs. nurture. David is a consistent borderline neurotic family man who will call you repeatedly if you don’t pick up the first time. In contrast, Benji is a free spirit. He lives in his mother’s basement, coming and going as he pleases, is willing to make a scene, and is incredibly charming until one of his manic moments explodes in your face. The two men grew up as close as brothers and have many of the same traumas and shared guilt, which they process, internalize, and express differently. Benji’s over-the-top moments are balanced with small touches like the location of the opening and closing credits that Eisenberg uses to imply a change has occurred even though the majority of the screen tells you to be discouraged because everything is the same as before.

There is balance in the tone. When and how much humor to add is a fine line when you are dealing with a subject as emotionally heavy as the Holocaust. David and Benji’s grandmother was a concentration camp survivor before giving up everything she knew to immigrate to the United States and build a better life. Traveling through Poland, the guys learn about the sights and sounds she may have experienced before and during Germany’s invasion, culminating with the horrors of the camps themselves. Along the way, they stop for meals, converse with their tour mates, or look for rooftops where they can enjoy Benji’s smuggled marijuana. The laughs are as big and genuine as the tears.

This is only Eisenberg’s second feature film as a director, but every indication points to him being in complete control. He and Culkin give some of the best performances of their careers, the runtime is perfect, and “A Real Pain “is a very” good-looking film even if it doesn’t have flashy camera movements. The film’s visual elements, from the scenic locations in Poland to the subtle changes in the characters’ appearances, contribute to its aesthetic appeal. It is a beautiful film and earns a 5 out of 5.

Director: Jesse Eisenberg
Producer: Jesse Eisenberg, Ali Herting, Dave McCary, Ewa Puszczyńska, Jennifer Semler, Emma Stone, Ewa Puszczyńska
Screenwriter: Jesse Eisenberg
Distributor: Searchlight Pictures
Production Co: Topic Studios, Fruit Tree, Extreme Emotions
Rating: R (Language Throughout|Some Drug Use)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 1, 2024, Limited
Runtime: 1h 29m