Because I didnt direct any of the scenes to be crying scenes.
I get different answers…[but] Im always surprised by that, Eisenberg said.
I thought this could be a good movie, but Im always writing from a place of private thoughts.
Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in ‘A Real Pain’Searchlight
DEADLINE: What was the inkling you had that made you bring this story to life?
JESSE EISENBERG:It was a thousand different things.
I needed a third element and Mongolia wasnt doing it for me.
A Real PainSearchlight
EISENBERG:Truthfully, my take is one of great confusion.
I dont feel Im worthy of complaining about my life because my life is quite fine.
And yet, when hes elated, when hes happy, he lights up every room that hes in.
Its not helping anybody.
And I think those two things are related.
DEADLINE: We must talk about the dinner scene.
Not that the movie couldnt exist without it, but it feels extremely pivotal to the story structure.
David confesses how he feels about loving this mentally ill person while Benji is just out of earshot.
Talk more about the construction of this film.
And how can you envy this person who, in so many ways, is broken?
And thats, in some ways, the theme of the movie is.
My character lives in awe of this person whos struggling.
My character goes home, has a wife and a kid, and has some stability.
DEADLINE:Was there a version of this film that went further than where the film ended?
What helped you justify this ending for you?
EISENBERG:It always ended there.
Benji will still not basically be the person that David wants him to be.
Hes in an airport.
EISENBERG:Only one thing.
And I didnt realize, while I was writing, what I was writing about.
And my mom was the only person to pick up on this thing.
I viewed the scene as this funny set piece where this guy is berating this fairly well-meaning tour guide.
But it hadnt occurred to me consciously that its because Benjis dealing with his own ideas about living.
And so, that played differently than I expected.
EISENBERG:Thats exactly it.
Hes inappropriate with the way hes behaving.
However, hes kind of always right.
Just the way he expresses himself is so wildly inappropriate and kind of rude, but hes always correct.
DEADLINE: Was there ever a feeling where you thought this story wouldnt be so relatable or too personal?
How did you work through that self-doubt, if any, in the writing process?
EISENBERG:Everything I write is in emails.
I dont write in Final Draft until Im finished with the script.
So, I always write in emails so that nothing ever feels official, so I dont censor myself.
And more often than not, Im right; no one produces it or reads it.
And Im lucky that the movies I make are small.
This was a $3 million budget.
A movie like this didnt require me to make it more popular or accessible because the budget was small.
I dont have a movie studio telling me, Hey, it has to be funnier.
Or, You cant have this character of Benji be so shocking.
But I understand some audiences want to understand exactly what happens and have some more Hollywood sense of closure.
But again, because the movie is small, I dont have to do all that stuff.
DEADLINE: Thats a great point.
And also with pain, sometimes you dont get a solution to that.
You just have to live with it.
EISENBERG:Yeah, thats exactly it.
I always just ask them, when did they cry?
And I get different answers.
There are scenes where the characters are crying, but theyre upended by other things.
And so, Im surprised by that.
Its not like theres one scene thats emotionally wrenching all the way through.
There are scenes where the characters are experiencing something, but its always undercut with something else.
Thats why I was kind of surprised by that.
It really felt like personal feelings, but just in this kind of form.
You have to direct yourself while also starring in the film.
Did it affect your collaboration at all with your scene partners?
And then, I worked with amazing producers.
Emma Stone, Ali Herting and Dave McCary theyre wonderful producers.
So, I surround myself with good people or got lucky to be surrounded by good people.
This is not a vanity project.
I dont have to worry about being indulgent, but I am a leading character in this movie.
So, how would I film it if it was not me?
He just resented that an actor was giving him notes and was annoyed by me.
So, I tried to limit the amount of notes.
We had this rule where I couldnt give him a note after the first take.
He had to do a second take before I could give him a note.
And he was so brilliant in the movie, I felt no need to really correct him.
