A Real Pain

Kieron Culkin’s performance weirdly felt like a strange extension to hisaward-winning role as Roman in succession. It's almost as if after Tom Wambsgans’ takeover of the company, Roman decides to quit the rich person's life, decides he wants a different personality and reconnects with an old friend. Much like Roman, occasionally Benji too cannot accurately ascertain the feelings he has towards his cousin. If they weren’t related, I would guess there was a weird romantic energy there. Benji is entitled, unpredicatble, has outbursts in nearly every social situation, then feels guilty about being weird and yet underneath is a kind boy just looking for the love of an elder, a brother, a parental figure. I’m not saying it’s a bad acting performance, one can't cast aspersions on the actor’s ability. Perhaps Benji and Romulus just are too similar, as crafted by their writers, a little too similar in their pain, and escapist ways of dealing with it. I do love the title, A Real Pain – on the trip the most pain is Benji, and then perhaps David’s pain over his guilt for not being there for his cousin. And then ofcourse the pain of being on this trip, remembering those who lost their lives in the holocaust, and the price paid by those who made it out. A Real Pain isn’t the most stirring film I’ve watched on the subject, but I'm still glad I did catch it at Sundance.