39;s real-life ancestors settled in diaspora
Tale
Mismatched cousins reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother, but their old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. Benji Kaplan: We stay moving, we stay light, we stay agile.David Kaplan: Yeah.Benji Kaplan: The conductor’s gonna come through, taking tickets, we tell him we’re going to the bathroom.David Kaplan: Bathroom towards the front looking for stragglers.David Kaplan: Sorry, we’re the stragglers?Benji Kaplan: Yeah. By the time he gets to the front, the train is going to be in the station and we’re home free.David Kaplan: This is so fucking stupid. Tickets are probably like twelve bucks.Benji Kaplan: It’s the principle of the thing. We should not have to pay for train tickets in Poland.
Featured in CBS News Sunday Morning: Episode #4644 (2024)
This is our country.David Kaplan: No, it’s not, it was our country. They kicked us out ’cause they thought we were cheap.. 12 Studies, Op. 25, no. 3 in F majorWritten by Frederic ChopinPerformed by Tzvi Erez.
I've always enjoyed watching Jesse Eisenberg's performances
He usually adds a wiry nervousness and some smart fast dialogue to the roles he has. He has now won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival for his newly released A REAL PAIN. Eisenberg produced, wrote, and directed this "dramady" of a relationship study between estranged cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin). David is a high-strung billboard ad creator with a wife and kid. Benji is a sensitive, very emotionally aware person who is grieving the loss of his grandmother, to whom he was very close.
It's clear they're both going through something, as is everyone in this
They go on a trip to Poland together, tagging along with a Jewish history tour group, which obviously brings up various and difficult feelings. This is a beautiful movie with fully developed characters that actually evolve as it goes on. The screenplay is nicely paced with a perfect blend of emotional beats and comedy. This is actually Eisenberg's second movie he's written and directed, the first being WHEN YOU FINISH SAVING THE WORLD, which is now on my list to see. As I had watched SUCCESSION, I knew Kieran Culkin was amazing, and he's even better in this.
Saying that, you can't overlook Eisenberg's performance
In some ways it's harder playing an understated role, which he is great at. The movie is about generational trauma, different kinds of pain, and the human condition. I hope A REAL PAIN is talked about during the awards season!. From Alien: Romulus to Road House, take a look back at some of our favorite 2024 posters.