4 out of 5
Many are already familiar with Jesse Eisenberg’s work as an actor. He came to prominence with an Oscar-nominated central performance in The Social Network. His roles in Zombieland, Adventureland, and Now You See Me were also memorable. This, only his second film as a writer/director, involves Eisenberg playing David Kaplan, who, along with his cousin Benji Kaplan, journey to Poland on a pilgrimage to visit where their grandmother lived. She was a Holocaust survivor who settled in America after the Second World War. The film is said to have been inspired by Jesse Eisenberg reading an advertisement for a tourist concentration camp tour, which struck him as peculiar. Fellow actor Emma Stone is credited as an executive producer,
We join the action in the airport departure lounge with one of the earlie frames showing Benji who seems relaxed as he takes in the comings and goings of fellow travellers. He is dressed in loungewear that could almost double as pyjamas. We cut to David, who is running late, leaving frantic voicemail updates and apologies for Benji as he hurries to the meeting point. This sets the scene beautifully, as we are introduced to Benji’s relaxed singleton attitude to travel and David’s uptight and overly anxious persona.
Jesse Eisenberg’s performance evokes memories of early on-screen Woody Allen at times and it'd a performance we have seen before. The cousins have known each other all their lives, although it is apparent from the outset that their contrasting personalities clash. Benji (Kieran Culkin) has a well-honed passive-aggressive style of interaction, characterised by an incisively sarcastic sense of humour, very similar to his other on-screen persona - Roman Roy. Fans of the series Succession will immediately recognise the superficial similarities in how Roman and Benji interact with others. However, the characterisation of Benji here appears much more three-dimensional.
The tour party assembles under the leadership of James, played by English actor Will Sharpe, who has previously appeared in the TV series The White Lotus and Flowers. Other tour members include Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan, from Beasts of No Nation) and Marcia (played by Jennifer Grey—yes, that Jennifer Grey, aka Baby from Dirty Dancing).
Inevitably, the quietly studious James and the outspoken, hyperactive Benji clash. This includes a disagreement over the irony of enjoying first-class rail travel through Poland, in stark contrast to the harrowing experiences of Holocaust victims transported by train in the same region eighty years earlier. It emerges that funding for the trip came from David and Benji’s grandmother’s bequest—both cousins remember her fondly. The other tour members share their reasons for being there, including Eloge, who fled the Rwandan genocide with his mother to start a new life in the USA and became a relatively recent convert to Judaism. This serves as a reminder that genocide did not end with the world peace declared in 1945. It also prompts a discussion between David and Eloge about what Judaism means to each of them.
At the heart of the film, it must be said that Kieran Culkin’s Benji drives the narrative, providing a ball of maniacal energy as he tries to draw the introverted David out of his shell. He doesn’t just steal scenes; he smashes and grabs every one he’s in. This even extends to a scene where he commandeers a restaurant piano, featuring on the soundtrack. Predictably, their differing personalities lead to conflict. Benji has no difficulty expressing his frustrations, often to great comic effect. David, however, tends to internalise his emotions.
In a pivotal and emotional scene, when Benji is absent, David’s frustrations spill out as he shares them with his fellow tour members. The sense of awkwardness as David reveals deeply personal feelings to a group of strangers is palpable. Although the cousins have a lifelong familiarity, they perhaps exhibit a stereotypical male reluctance to share emotions. In a touching scene, aided by some substance-induced relaxation, they eventually open up to each other.
We are left with the impression that both David and Benji are deeply affected by this trip. While the character development takes centre stage, the director ensures key information about the history of the people and locations visited is shared with us.
The cinematography captures the modern sights of former Jewish buildings, prompting reflection on what was—and what might have been. As the tour reaches the preserved remains of the Majdanek concentration camp near the Polish city of Lublin, the film offers what is reportedly the first narrative depiction of this site. The representation of the final resting place of around 80,000 murdered, mainly Jewish people, is handled sensitively. It is a brief but respectful homage, feeling appropriate and significant both within the film and in cinematic history.
The cousins make a planned deviation to visit their grandmother’s former Polish home. Unsure how best to pay tribute to her, they encounter some local residents. Another welcome addition is the use of Chopin’s haunting piano compositions in the film score. As the film—and the cousins’ trip—draws to a close, the music provides the necessary space and permission to process the experience.
Of its type, this is a near-perfect film. I would have liked to see more involvement from the tour members, aside from the two main actors. However, this might have detracted from the strong primary performances, which were recently recognised with a Golden Globe win for Kieran Culkin. While the film may become best known for this accolade, it is a compelling and moving cinematic achievement book-ended by two images: the opening title early on in this review and the final frame of the film below.
Comments