Blu Tuesday: “A Real Pain” and More

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Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin in "A Real Pain"

Blu Tuesday is a weekly column where we review the newest Blu-ray and 4K releases, along with a brief rundown of the included bonus material, to determine whether they’re worth buying, renting or skipping.

Pick of the Week: “A Real Pain”

Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut, 2022’s “When You Finish Saving the World,” was seen by so few people that you’d be forgiven for not knowing it existed. Fortunately, the actor-turned-director quickly rebounded with this road-trip buddy comedy about a pair of cousins who embark on a tour of Poland in honor of their recently passed grandmother. In classic buddy comedy fashion, the two cousins couldn’t be any more different, with Kieran Culkin as the free-spirited Benji and Eisenberg as the neurotic David. Both actors are very much playing to their strengths and deliver good work in their roles, but it’s Culkin’s performance that is the clear standout, wonderfully toeing the line between obnoxious and charming much like he did on HBO’s “Succession.” Though there’s not a whole lot to the story itself, the film’s enjoyment primarily comes from watching the fantastic chemistry between its two stars.

Extras include a making-of featurette. FINAL VERDICT: BUY

Also Out This Week:

“Juror #2” — The fact that Clint Eastwood is still working at the age of 94 is a feat unto itself, even if the quality of his recent films has dropped slightly. However, he’s still capable of turning in good work, and his latest movie is proof of that, which makes Warner Brothers’ attempt at burying it all the more strange. “Juror #2” is Eastwood’s best film in years — an engaging, old-school courtroom thriller that explores the moral dilemma of self-preservation versus doing what’s right. Though its premise demands that the audience suspend disbelief to a certain degree, the story never becomes too far-fetched, thanks in part to the grounded performances of the ensemble cast, notably Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette and J.K. Simmons. “Juror #2” is by no means an Eastwood classic, but as his purported final film, it’s a solid bookend to a remarkable career. FINAL VERDICT: BUY

“Wicked” — The musical production of “Wicked” runs roughly two-and-a-half hours long, so you can understand why people were perplexed by the decision to split the film adaptation into two movies, especially when Part One already eclipses that runtime on its own (and contains arguably the two best musical numbers). The bloated runtime causes the film to drag as a result, though the bigger issue is with the source material itself, which is so nonsensical and ridiculous that it’s difficult to buy into. Stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande do their best to make it all work — Grande was positively born to play Glinda, while Erivo shines in the demanding role of Elphaba — but although “Wicked” just about gets by on their performances, it doesn’t make the prospect of sitting through a whole second film any more alluring. Extras include a pair of audio commentaries (one by director Jon M. Chu, and another by Erivo and Grande), as well as a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, a sing-along version of the film and more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT

Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.

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About Author

In addition to writing for Bullz-Eye.com, Jason is a proud member of the Columbus Film Critics Association (COFCA) and the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS).