by Eurocheese
Festering emotions were front-and-center in these two strong films at the festival, though they were expressed in very different ways. Both screenplays played with tone, though Nightbitch’s swings didn’t always land as successfully as A Real Pain's. In each film, one charismatic performance will be the top takeaway for most viewers..
It wouldn’t be The Film Experience if blatant category fraud wasn’t called out early, so let’s get the elephant out of the room: There’s no way Kieran Culkin’s turn in A Real Pain should be considered a "supporting" performance. His rambling, sometimes charming, sometimes infuriating character steals every scene where he appears... which is almost all of them. Jesse Eisenberg’s muted co-lead performance allows for a couple of powerful monologues, but just like his character in the film, he is ultimately overshadowed by Culkin’s magnetic grandstanding. Make no mistake, though – this movie has two leads.
A REAL PAIN © Searchlight Pictures
As the two men struggle with the loss of their grandmother, their estranged relationship and their history in relationship to the tour (which is connecting to their Jewish roots while traveling through Poland), the film makes a point of calling out ideas of normality surrounding grief. While Culkin’s Benji is clearly struggling and doesn’t seem to be able to control his own actions from minute to minute, he inspires others with his attempts to find joy and seek authentic expression. Eisenberg’s David has seen this show before, though, and knows that it isn’t helping address what Benji really needs. David’s busy life kept him from giving Benji the attention that their relationship once had, and neither of them know how to get that dynamic back, though they are both trying.
One of the great pains of growing older is finding our cherished relationships, especially ones with those that live far away, change in ways we didn’t anticipate. While we may not have someone as troubled as Benji in our lives, our relationships are always evolving; it's easy to be caught off guard when life looks nothing like our expectations. Something else that comes with age is that people we held in high regard in our youth fall off their pedestals. Given the superhuman expectations we place on them, as adults we have to move past the initial reverence and inevitable disappointment to connect with the real person. The screenplay smartly evokes memories in such a way that audience members can read themselves into this dynamic. This personal relationship between two cousins (who are more like brothers) has enough truthful notes to bring authenticity, even when Benji is bouncing off the walls.
The original screenplay and Culkin's turn are the clearest shots at Oscar love this year. Will a character study like this have a chance at breaking into Best Picture this season? Awards aside, this is a film that will strike an emotional chord with many of its viewers. The backdrop of Holocaust remembrance carries additional significance given the state of the world right now.
NIGHTBITCH © Searchlight Pictures
Another clear-eyed look at family comes from Nightbitch, Marielle Heller’s new film starring the film’s producer, Amy Adams. In the first few minutes of the film, Nightbitch lets the audience know Adams’ character will not hold back when sharing her struggles in transitioning from her life as an artist to her current role as stay-at-home mom. Is she speaking to audience members or is she speaking to herself? It’s hard to know, but this window into her inner monologue helps to calibrate her interactions. Much like Culkin’s character in A Real Pain, she is compelling to watch precisely because she might well do anything at any given moment, often losing her ability to control herself. The audience can’t always tell how much of what they’re seeing is actually happening versus how much is living in the protagonist’s head.
Given the film's surreal premise, Nightbitch is more straightforward than you might expect. Some storylines, such as flashbacks to the protagonist's mother when she was a child or her decision to leave her career, aren’t fully explored. The movie does much better with the present: The appealing call of nature helps her evade her mundane life and the audience can understand why she would want to run wild to escape it, even if the movie stretches the metaphor.
The marriage at the center of the film feels true-to-life, though part of the plot is Scoot McNairy frustratingly not making enough effort to understand what is happening with his wife. His character is ultimately allowed to share his own views on how their relationship has developed, and the film does a nice job balancing his faults with his humanity. Even so, Adams’ journey is always the point of interest. In her Q&A after the screening, Adams spoke about the importance of highlighting the brutality of motherhood and mentioned the personal stories from audience members who felt seen by this story. It was clear when hearing the star speak that she is very proud of the film and felt strongly that this was a story she wanted to tell. Because she played her character with such serious intent, she revealed that it was a surprise to her that the tone in many scenes was so comedic; she chalks that up to Heller’s insightful direction.
Will this film finally bring Amy Adams her Oscar? I would lean towards a no, especially in such a competitive year for Best Actress, though she would absolutely be nomination-worthy. Ultimately Adams star turn outshines the whole, even though it's an engaging film that is likely to resonate with parents. One movie that came to mind as a comparison point based on theme is Jason Reitman’s Tully, which focused on a mother unable to maintain the energy level she needed to parent successfully. Adams’ mother is similarly struggling to find her voice, and if running wild with the neighborhood dogs at night is the way to find it, then so be it.
A Real Pain opens in theaters this Friday, Nov 1st. Nightbitch follows in a month on December 6th.