Kieran Culkin has been getting a lot of much-deserved praise for his turn inA Real Pain, but Jesse Eisenberg also gives a terrific performance in the film — especially in one scene. Eisenberg and Culkin leadthe cast ofA Real Painas a pair of cousins, David and Benji Kaplan, who embark on a Holocaust tour across Poland to reconnect with their late grandmother’s roots. Along the way, the pressing issues in their relationship come to bear and some hard truths spill out.
Culkin has been nominated for just about every Best Supporting Actor honor in Hollywood: the Academy Award, the Critics’ Choice Movie Award, the Screen Actors Guild Award, the BAFTA Award, and the Golden Globe. Eisenberg has gotten some recognition as the film’s writer, having won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and scored an Oscar nod for Best Original Screenplay, but it seems as though his work on-screen is being overlooked.Culkin gives a fantastic performance inA Real Pain, but it shouldn’t overshadow Eisenberg’s.
Jesse Eisenberg’s Dinner Monologue In A Real Pain Is An Acting Masterclass
It’s An Emotional Rollercoaster
Midway throughA Real Pain, while the tour group is enjoying dinner, Benji leaves the table to go to the bathroom.It’s the first time Benji has left the other characters alone for an extended period of screen time, and it gives them a chance to discuss their true feelings about him — especially Dave. Marcia and Eloge can both see that, deep down, Benji is a good person dealing with a lot of pain, while Mark fails to recognize his charm. They probe Dave for a bit more information about Benji andhe launches into a tirade of oversharing.
10 Best Movies Like A Real Pain
From The Farewell to The Darjeeling Limited, there are a lot of great movies like A Real Pain to watch after Jesse Eisenberg’s acclaimed dramedy.
Dave says that he loves Benji, but also confesses that he hates him sometimes, and that he’s jealous of his confidence and outspokenness and the effect he has on people. The monologue culminates in the shocking revelation that Benji attempted suicide six months earlier. Eisenberg nails this monologue; it’s an acting masterclass.He jumps all over the emotional spectrum, seamlessly switching between dry humor, raw honesty, selfish rage, and a deep well of sadness— it all feels so real. It would make a perfect Oscar clip if Eisenberg was in the running for Best Actor, as he deserves to be.
A Real Pain’s Dinner Scene Is The Key To Understanding The Movie
It Lays Bare All The Issues In Dave & Benji’s Relationship
This dinner scene is one ofA Real Pain’s most important sequences. It’s the key to understanding the whole movie, because it lays bare all the issues in Dave and Benji’s relationship and what they need to overcome beforethe end ofA Real Pain. Dave is frustrated by constantly being upstaged and overshadowed by Benji, which is exactly what happens when Benji’s impromptu piano performance cuts him off in the middle of the monologue.
