Tag Archives: Searchlight Pictures

Film reviews

A Real Pain Review

Leave a comment

A championship work-of-art that deserves ivory tower status in the works of Jesse Eisenberg.  As the director, writer and one of the leads, he explores what it means to find closeness with family in A Real Pain. Eisenberg hits it so hard that his achievement will be remembered for ages. With premieres at Sundance Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, and more, there is a bright shining light radiating from A Real Pain. The dynamic can be seen in the eyes of Kieran Culkin. For those who love Culkin as Roman Roy from Succession, you will feel his character is back with the common Roman attitude—quirky, opinionated, vocal, and crazy. All those characteristics arelinked to true feelings in this story. The film vividly tests the waters of human emotions in a unique way that is exhilarating and brilliant.

Eisenberg plays David Kaplan and Culkin plays Benji Kaplan. They are cousins embarking on a trip to Poland in honor of their grandmother. Both characters have odd personalities. David has a normal life with a full-time job, a wife, and a son. He lives by-the-book and gets stressed if events are not in order. Benji is the opposite of David. He is always squirmy and loves his marijuana. He does not have a filter and speaks his mind frequently. Is this going to be an issue when David goes overseas with Benji? Their behavior patterns form a bond where love and hate tango like crazy. Eisenberg’s writing and direction result in a joyful flow that is Oscar-worthy in A Real Pain.

Their real frustration and connection happen once they are in Poland as part of a tour group visiting tourist attractions with other vacationers. This is when A Real Pain begins to deliver breathtaking acting. On the tour, David wants to absorb the tour, but Benji always insists on bringing joy to the occasion. When there are facts Benji does not agree with, he speaks up with some harsh tones. David tries to keep his calm given that Benji is his family. Deep-down, however, Benji can be a real pain for Dave.

The issues of culture and heritage cause other pains during the trip. There are many difficulties in the past and the present on this Polish adventure in A Real Pain. The cousins’ relationship has love and hate which is reassessed repeatedly through the experiences of Eisenberg and Culkin. Through their eyes, viewers can feel their pain which spurs empathy and a touch of sadness. Their trip opens many doors to feelings of despair which then find paths to happiness. Ultimately, the film is a mind-blowing reminder to always love family. 

The truth hurts and A Real Pain’s compelling subject matter and serious tone are powerful. Eisenberg’s writing creates a pattern in which his own character must learn to step out of his shell to deal with his cousin when they are both thousands of miles away from home. Culkin is the master of unpredictable behavior in his role as Benji. He knocks his performance out of the ballpark. The revolving door of the bond and personality clash between Eisenberg and Culkin sends a message to love, accept, and even help when it is possible. Families may be a pain, but life can be a real pain. Eisenberg’s directing dazzles in a way that sets the film apart.

As someone who has personally struggled with making connections and feeling disconnected, A Real Pain hit me hard.  I felt simultaneously emotional and uplifted as I reflected on who and why we love. I have sometimes had challenges getting along with my own family and realize that is a natural part of life. The dramatizations in A Real Pain make complete and honest sense which make it a very relatable film.

I have come face-to-face with both Eisenberg and Culkin. I saw Eisenberg walking from a distance when I was at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016, and I told him his portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network was brilliant. He simply replied, “Thank You.” I saw Culkin in the play This is our Youth in 2014 at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. This was before his well-known part in Succession. Both men have truly grown as naturally gifted actors. Seeing them deliver this one-of-a-kind masterpiece is something I will always remember. 

Eisenberg and Culkin both display a level of acting ability which is purely genius. From my vantage point, Culkin nails it! He will make audiences laugh, cry, and anxious to learn how many joyful surprises he has in store in A Real Pain. How real does the pain feel in A Real Pain? It is quite deep and gut-wrenching, while also extremely heartfelt. It is a mammoth win on many fronts for both Eisenberg and Culkin and tops my chart for the best film of 2024. Four out of four stars A Real Pain.

Film reviews

Kinds of Kindness Review

Leave a comment

Director Yorgos Lanthimos has taken his audience on many bizarre and exhilarating journeys. From the standpoint of a manipulative in Dogtooth (2009), a place of grieving in Alps (2011), a futuristic hospital in The Lobster (2015), a surgeon making risky choices in The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), an 18th century queen who is tormented in The Favourite (2018), a woman coming back to life in Poor Things (2023), and a theory of strange events in Kinds of Kindness. This film feels like the mosaic of a play because of how the characters play different people in different yet correlated segments. It is crazy how quickly two hours and forty minutes flew by. The unique scenarios and twisted elements made it seem much shorter. 

The film begins with the actor Jesse Plemmons, who plays three characters named Robert, Daniel, and Andrew. Although accustomed to a life of wealth, he begins experiencing turmoil due to poor choices by his boss, played by Willem Dafoe. Dafoe also plays three characters named Raymond, George, and Omi. In one segment, Robert is trying to not allow his boss to control his life. However, that causes things to become even worse. Robert’s wife, played by Hong Chau, vanishes. She plays three individuals as well, named Sarah, Sharon, and Aka. These characters are experiencing a variety of tough scenarios and bad episodes.

Lanthimos has created a soap opera of a project divided into three parts. The first part is titled The Death of R.M.F. The second is titled RMF Flying. Finally, the third is called R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich. The first scenario is about trying to overcome power. The second scenario is about someone who believes his wife is an imposter, and the third is about someone who is tryingto find resurrection from the dead. Emma Stone is part of the third scenario with her roles as Rita, Liz, and Emily. As Emily, she is doing the reverse of her previous role in Poor Things because she is now the one involved with the strange task of bringing up the dead.

Another actress who brings heat to the film is Margaret Qualley. In her three roles as Vivian, Martha, and twins Ruth and Rebecca, Qualley is a force of nature. In this film, tensions are bizarre, creepy, and all linked together. It sometimes feels like weird extra-long TV episodes. Lanthimos taps unnerving emotions in Kinds of Kindness. With each character playing different people in different sequences, there are conflicting dynamics and unexpected resolutions.

During the film, the issue of crossed boundaries kept coming to my mind. Many of the events in Kinds of Kindness are based on morals that raise red flags. The realm of a triptych fable is part of the inner complexity of Kinds of Kindness. On some level, the transitions do not feel adequate in the context of believability. 

The title itself sets the tone of interesting thoughts and motives. Kinds of Kindness is a cat-and-mouse game that has deadly circumstances. Does it execute well? I felt the writing fell flat at times. Lanthimos can do bizarre right, but can he diversify it effectively? The slew of events led to confusion as scenes meant to be enticing became blurred. Kinds of Kindness is a film of endurance, but it tries too hard so is not a masterpiece. There are too many dots to connect and limited flow with the mixture of characters. Two-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

All of Us Strangers Review

Leave a comment

The major vibe is distress on a journey of loneliness in this film. All of Us Strangers takes a deep dive into the core of finding where to fulfill disconnect. It is a portrait of sadness and finding light while dealing with the harsh reality of life as a screenwriter. The film is about the creative process of a screenwriter and is also process for its audience. It causes viewers to think about personal challenges, issues of acceptance, and how others view them. Written and directed by Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers is a film about the ups and downs in the life of a screenwriter who is stuck with both heartache and desolation.

The film opens with the screenwriter named Adam (played by Andrew Scott). Adam lives his life of mental suffrage in anapartment in London but has a secret. He is a closeted gay. Adam meets his neighbor Harry (played by Paul Mescal) who helps Adam change how he sees himself. Harry is also gay, and they begin to form a loving relationship. Closeness is what both Adam and Harry have been most deprived of. Adam searches for answers in different places and struggles with writer’s block. Harry’s mum is played by Claire Foy and his dad is played by Jamie Bell. Given Adam’s life of secrecy about his sexuality, his harsh memories frequently come to mind when spending time with Adam and his parents. The search for acceptance while navigating life’s challenges is the focus of the artistic journey in All of Us Strangers.

The relationship between Adam and Paul is where the film excels in displaying the impact of love. Mescal and Scott are brilliant in terms of their chemistry as they fight despair and find hope. Adam struggles to accept his true feelings for Paul and himself because he questions how his parents will feel about it. Adam’s parents find themselves confused and distraught about trying to accept their son’s sexuality. Their delayed acceptance causes Adam to revisit his haunting childhood. In fact, he feels like reality is against him throughout the story and the way the film presents his feelings is mesmerizing.

All of Us Strangers is a set in a society where being gay is questioned. The love between Adam and Harry is deep and their endearing love story is about finding what it takes to be fulfilled. The experience portrayed through the film’s writing and lighting is both hard and real. The harshness of Adam’s parents withtheir ridiculous expectations is why he struggles to have faith in himself. Harry is the only one that helps him have faith. There is more positive energy in Adam’s life when he is in Harry’s company and their relationship is their wonderland. Adam’s escape from Harry leads to choices that are harmful at times, but that’s because of the strength of their bond. Can Adam live a life of happiness without Harry?

The brilliance of All of Us Strangers lies in its presentation of Adam’s life of turmoil. The reality of Adam’s closeted secret is his nightmare. The audience gets to experience what’s on the mind of this screenwriter with an unexpected story. During the film, I felt the pain in Adam’s eyes as he faced regret and neglect. The continued frustration with his parents impacts his ability to enjoy his life with Harry. Why do Adam’s parents struggle to accept that their son is gay? Adam cannot help butwhat his heart wants. Nothing is more powerful than knowing there are people who care. The experience of disconnection and love in this film created a daring experience that left me in tears. Four out of four stars for All of Us Strangers.