by Josh Sewell
A Real Pain
(Rated R for language throughout and some drug use. Opens in select theaters on November 15.)
Jesse Eisenberg is a compelling actor who has found success in indies like 2009’s underrated Adventureland and this year’s bizarre, yet poignant Sasquatch Sunset, as well as blockbusters like The Social Network and the Zombieland flicks. Now, in his second feature as writer-director (his first was 2022’s When You Finish Saving the World), he’s got a shot at awards season glory.
A Real Pain is a dramedy that follows mismatched cousins as they reunite for a trek through Poland to honor their grandmother who recently passed away. Neurotic family man David (Eisenberg) wants to do the usual touristy things, while the charismatic, outspoken Benji (Kieran Culkin) wants to be spontaneous, much to the chagrin of everyone else in their group (including Jennifer Grey, Will Sharpe, Kurt Egyiawan, Daniel Oreskes and Liza Sadovy). As tensions rise, the trip culminates in a powerful visit to a concentration camp and the home where their grandmother was born.
While the film doesn’t break new ground in the “dysfunctional family heals and learns important lessons” genre, Eisenberg wisely focuses on the engaging, frequently awkward chemistry he has with Culkin. By playing the awkward straight man (aside from a couple of powerful scenes that find his character unloading years of pain and resentment), he allows his costar to step into the spotlight and run away with the movie.
In a weird, underwhelming year, it’s Culkin’s incredible performance that stands as the film’s best shot at an Oscar. He’s a shoo-in for a Best Supporting Actor nomination; I can see him winning over a lot of voters by being charming on the press circuit, as well as coasting on the goodwill of his work in the acclaimed HBO series Succession, which ended last year.
However, I doubt that will be on the forefront of average moviegoers’ minds. As for the movie itself, I enjoyed the ride but A Real Pain is very much a hangout movie that coasts on the charm of its leads. Despite Eisenberg’s efforts, the story evaporates almost as soon as the 85-minute flick’s credits roll.
Grade: B
Conclave
(Rated PG for thematic material and smoking. Now playing in theaters.)
In the ’90s, a cheesy thriller about the high-stakes process of choosing a new Pope – especially with a cast of familiar faces – would’ve dominated the box office. In the modern age of comic book movies, previously existing titles, sequels, etc., I’m just glad a campy movie for grownups made it to the big screen at all. That it avoided going straight to Netflix or Hulu is downright miraculous.
Conclave, based on Robert Harris’ 2016 novel, centers on Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), who is tasked with organizing the covert process of selecting a new Pope following the unexpected death of the current one. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders arrive at the Vatican from all over the world, they sequester themselves and begin the requisite politicking and gossiping. As leading candidates emerge – including one who wants to modernize the church (Stanley Tucci) and one who wants to restore old traditions (John Lithgow) – Lawrence finds himself investigating a series of scandals and conspiracies.
Director Edward Berger (whose 2022 adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front won four Oscars) elevates the material thanks to his stylistic flourishes. For a movie that’s just people talking in rooms for two hours, Conclave is surprisingly tense. Stéphane Fontaine’s cinematography and Volker Bertelmann’s score rachet up the tension even further, making every new revelation in this cutthroat process land like a boxer’s punch.
Fiennes, Tucci and Lithgow are all fantastic, playing characters that suit their individual strengths as performers. Fiennes is enigmatic and imposing; Tucci’s the voice of reason; and Lithgow is a duplicitous schemer. Lucian Msamati, Sergio Castellitto and Carlos Diehz also deliver strong work, though I can’t get into specifics without spoiling some of the film’s fun surprises.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Conclave is the twist it delivers in the final moments, which drew gasps of surprise and frustration in the screening I attended. Although it doesn’t diminish anything that happens in the previous 110 minutes, it certainly recontextualizes what we’ve seen. Berger and screenwriter Peter Straughan (remaining faithful to Harris’ ending) are clearly aiming for a more empathetic version of the future. Here’s hoping, I guess. They’re a lot more optimistic than I am these days.
Grade: B+
(Rated R for language throughout and some drug use. Opens in select theaters on November 15.)
Jesse Eisenberg is a compelling actor who has found success in indies like 2009’s underrated Adventureland and this year’s bizarre, yet poignant Sasquatch Sunset, as well as blockbusters like The Social Network and the Zombieland flicks. Now, in his second feature as writer-director (his first was 2022’s When You Finish Saving the World), he’s got a shot at awards season glory.
A Real Pain is a dramedy that follows mismatched cousins as they reunite for a trek through Poland to honor their grandmother who recently passed away. Neurotic family man David (Eisenberg) wants to do the usual touristy things, while the charismatic, outspoken Benji (Kieran Culkin) wants to be spontaneous, much to the chagrin of everyone else in their group (including Jennifer Grey, Will Sharpe, Kurt Egyiawan, Daniel Oreskes and Liza Sadovy). As tensions rise, the trip culminates in a powerful visit to a concentration camp and the home where their grandmother was born.
While the film doesn’t break new ground in the “dysfunctional family heals and learns important lessons” genre, Eisenberg wisely focuses on the engaging, frequently awkward chemistry he has with Culkin. By playing the awkward straight man (aside from a couple of powerful scenes that find his character unloading years of pain and resentment), he allows his costar to step into the spotlight and run away with the movie.
In a weird, underwhelming year, it’s Culkin’s incredible performance that stands as the film’s best shot at an Oscar. He’s a shoo-in for a Best Supporting Actor nomination; I can see him winning over a lot of voters by being charming on the press circuit, as well as coasting on the goodwill of his work in the acclaimed HBO series Succession, which ended last year.
However, I doubt that will be on the forefront of average moviegoers’ minds. As for the movie itself, I enjoyed the ride but A Real Pain is very much a hangout movie that coasts on the charm of its leads. Despite Eisenberg’s efforts, the story evaporates almost as soon as the 85-minute flick’s credits roll.
Grade: B
(Rated PG for thematic material and smoking. Now playing in theaters.)
In the ’90s, a cheesy thriller about the high-stakes process of choosing a new Pope – especially with a cast of familiar faces – would’ve dominated the box office. In the modern age of comic book movies, previously existing titles, sequels, etc., I’m just glad a campy movie for grownups made it to the big screen at all. That it avoided going straight to Netflix or Hulu is downright miraculous.
Conclave, based on Robert Harris’ 2016 novel, centers on Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), who is tasked with organizing the covert process of selecting a new Pope following the unexpected death of the current one. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders arrive at the Vatican from all over the world, they sequester themselves and begin the requisite politicking and gossiping. As leading candidates emerge – including one who wants to modernize the church (Stanley Tucci) and one who wants to restore old traditions (John Lithgow) – Lawrence finds himself investigating a series of scandals and conspiracies.
Director Edward Berger (whose 2022 adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front won four Oscars) elevates the material thanks to his stylistic flourishes. For a movie that’s just people talking in rooms for two hours, Conclave is surprisingly tense. Stéphane Fontaine’s cinematography and Volker Bertelmann’s score rachet up the tension even further, making every new revelation in this cutthroat process land like a boxer’s punch.
Fiennes, Tucci and Lithgow are all fantastic, playing characters that suit their individual strengths as performers. Fiennes is enigmatic and imposing; Tucci’s the voice of reason; and Lithgow is a duplicitous schemer. Lucian Msamati, Sergio Castellitto and Carlos Diehz also deliver strong work, though I can’t get into specifics without spoiling some of the film’s fun surprises.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Conclave is the twist it delivers in the final moments, which drew gasps of surprise and frustration in the screening I attended. Although it doesn’t diminish anything that happens in the previous 110 minutes, it certainly recontextualizes what we’ve seen. Berger and screenwriter Peter Straughan (remaining faithful to Harris’ ending) are clearly aiming for a more empathetic version of the future. Here’s hoping, I guess. They’re a lot more optimistic than I am these days.
Grade: B+
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com
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