Academy Award-nominated "A Real Pain" opens January 29, exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas

Ayala Malls Cinemas exclusively brings another award-winning film to Philippine cinemas with “A Real Pain,” the Jesse Eisenberg-directed comedy-drama that has been racking up multiple accolades this awards season, opening January 29.  

Written and directed by Eisenberg, the movie stars Eisenberg, Jennifer Grey, Will Sharpe, and Kieran Culkin, who won the Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor award for his performance in the film. Besides the Golden Globes, other accolades received by “A Real Pain” include nominations for the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), Screen Actors Guild Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards and the recently announced Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for Culkin and Best Original Screenplay for Eisenberg. “A Real Pain,” co-produced by Emma Stone’s Fruit Tree (“Poor Things,” “I Saw the TV Glow”), is part of Ayala Malls Cinemas’ lineup of critically acclaimed awards-season films, which this year also includes “Anora.”  

REVIEW: A Real Pain

Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, this comedic drama has a simple plot of cousins going on a tour to Poland to see where she grew up and survived the holocaust.  With an intimate group going through different historical spots, the fact and brutal history of those day was indeed a very sensitive topic to depict in film. However, they did give justice on how to show them without giving way to their own story.

It was good that they kept the group small yet each having unique charm and stories, yet it also paves way for the cousins David and Benjie (Jesse & Kieran) to shine in times of tension and calmness. Both show polar opposite personalities which causes conflict and mishaps in their trip.

Yet we also see the bond between family which leads them to forgive and connect with each other. There is also the feeling on how moving the remnants of the genocide was, even with silence speaks out the horrors of those days and should never happen again.