On January 20, 2024, during the Sundance Independent Film Festival, the premiere of the film “A Real Pain” took place, written by Jesse Eisenberg, known among others. from “The Social Network” or “Iluzja”. This is the second film made by an American actor who also played one of the main characters. A galaxy of stars appeared on the screen alongside him, including: , Will Sharpe or Jennifer Grey, but the biggest stir among the audience was the nostalgia-filled plot.
Eisenberg’s second film was shot in Poland. What is “A Real Pain” about?
The comedy-drama focuses on the fate of two cousins, David and Benji, who, after their grandmother’s death, decide to learn more about her painful past and the country she came from, which they had only heard about in stories. So they go to Poland, where they visit the house where she was born and spent the first years of her life. Recalling her memories from , they come across, among others: to a concentration camp, and what they experience there helps them fully understand the scale of this tragedy. For them, the trip to Europe is also a journey into themselves, during which they try to find answers and solutions to their existential dilemmas.
As Jesse Eisenberg explained in an interview for “Screendaily”, the aim of the film was primarily to make viewers realize that worrying about sometimes trivial matters becomes irrelevant when confronted with historical facts and the senseless death of millions of people. – I will try to ask the question to what extent the contemporary pain of people over thirty, their experiences and experiences, are important compared to the real, incredibly dramatic history related to the Holocaust. We often become hysterical about such trivial matters that when we reflect, we feel ashamed – .
Jesse Eisenberg has Polish roots. His film was based on facts
As it turns out, the director took up this topic for a reason. Eisenberg is of Polish origin, and the story he decided to show on screen is directly related to the fate of his relatives. – The house at the end of the film is my family’s house. They were deported from there in 1939 – he said during a discussion panel after the premiere of “A Real Pain” at Sundance, which ended with a great standing ovation. How moving this picture is is also proven by the reviews of American film critics, who have so far given the production only the highest marks.
Comedy drama can be incredibly funny, but also full of melancholy. The film examines the long, terrible shadow of the Holocaust, while examining contemporary relationships and the tenderness of family bonds
– wrote Tim Grierson from “Screen International”. Similar observations were also shared by Fred Topel from “United Press International”, who in his opinion did not spare positive words about the director, actors and the script, the perversity of which provides viewers with a whole range of emotions and feelings.
This is a great film that deals with difficult topics in an engaging way. Eisenberg unpacks generational trauma in an unpretentious way. Most people may think that the topic of the Holocaust is over, but this is the opinion of people who have not been affected by it.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
