Director / dir. : Jesse Eisenberg, 2024, USA
English with Czech subtitles
Programme
A Real Pain
One of the most interesting actors of his generation, Jesse Eisenberg(The Social Network or Cuttlefish and the Whale), in this case also the writer and director, has cast himself as the slightly neurotic New Yorker David, who sets off for faraway Poland with his talkative and mercurial cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin, the ill-fated flunky Roman Roy from the cult TV series Fighting for Power). It is from there that their grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, left decades ago to start anew across the ocean. David, whose bond with Benji is not as strong as it once was, is determined to make a fresh start. This sharp comedy road movie, backed by a brilliant script and excellent performances, was one of the audience hits at this year's Sundance Film Festival.