Paul McGuire Grimes, creator of Paul’s Trip to the Movies, tells us about two movies that he says is worth taking the trip to the theater for.

A REAL PAIN (in theaters)

Jesse Eisenberg wrote, directed and stars in A Real Pain that was inspired by his own trip to the Poland. He plays David, who is reuniting with his cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin), for a trip to Poland. Their grandmother recently passed away and now they want to learn more about their family history. They take part in a group tour going through different cities in Poland including a stop at the Majdanek concentration camp. This trip becomes an eye-opening endeavor on the privileged life they have compared to their ancestors. They wrestle with their mental health and how to acknowledge how the past and present can co-exist shape who we are.

-Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey

-A Real Pain fits within the structure of a road trip movie. The kind of journey that finds the central characters outside their everyday life, outside a routine, a comfort zone and thrusts them into a state of vulnerability and a possible reckoning.

-As a writer and director, Jesse Eisenberg has created a safe space for the characters and actors to really play with the contradictions of their life and what that means for the actors bringing voice to that.

-Culkin and Eisenberg have an easy rapport. You can feel the brotherly love and connection as cousins and as actors as there was something present on screen that felt greater than two actors working off one another. Both of them give career-defining performances that very well could break you.

-Eisenberg’s screenplay allows space for the confusing feelings David and Benji have with the guilt in relation to family history. It explores the different triggers that can manifest with their own faith and culture.

-Eisenberg allows his audience to be other tourists in this group as we reflect on our own family history, relationships, and real pain we may be feeling internally or externally. The film wants us to ponder whether our pain is any less valid than that of someone else’s and if they can co-exist together.

-Eisenberg is sensitive to what’s discussed between the characters and what he’s willing to show when it comes to the scenes shot at Majdanek. He trusts that the material and the history speak for itself without needing to artificially manufacture emotion.

–A Real Pain is an exceptional film from Jesse Eisenberg that may just hit you in a hidden cathartic place that you may not see coming. Anyone who has had mental health issues, anxiety or watched someone else suffer will get something out of this deeply personal film.

RATING: 5 out of 5 TICKET STUBS

CONCLAVE (in theaters)

The real process of ordaining a new Pope in the Catholic Church is shrouded in secrecy. The new film Conclave dares to pull back the curtain in the form of a juicy thriller. If you thought American politics and electing a President was messy, watching select members of Catholic College of Cardinals vote on a Pope is just as rich and diabolical. Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Lawrence who gets word that the current Pope has passed away unexpectedly. He’s the Dean of the College of Cardinals, which means he’s steering the nomination process. It comes at a time when he’s questioning his own faith and role in the Church. Optics and secrecy come front and center when the Pope’s final days are a mix of contradictions.  Cardinal Lawrence must wrestle with the secrets and lies that come out during the nomination process. There are rumors that the Pope had asked for the resignation of Cardinal Tremblay a day before he passed. Tremblay is now getting multiple nominations to be Pope. Stanley Tucci plays Cardinal Bellini who would take the Church in a progressive way forward, while Cardinal Adyemiis quite conservatively old fashioned with his views on the Church.

-Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini

–Conclave has been adapted from the 2016 novel by Robert Harris. While its not directly based on a true story, the actual conclave and nomination process is quite secretive with what happens inside the Sistine Chapel as the public waits for the white smoke to appear.

-Director Edward Berger has another winner on his hands bound for a strong award season. You may not expect a movie about the Catholic Church to be so nail-biting but that’s part of Berger’s secret here.

-There’s no wasting time as he opens the film with Ralph Fiennes breathing heavy frantically walking to the Pope’s residence upon his passing as Volker Bertelmann’s score plays out with haunting intensity.

-Berger shot the film on location in Rome with gorgeous sets made up to look like of the inside of the Vatican. It’s shot with grandeur by Stéphane Fontaine to capture its architecture and the pageantry of the incredibly old process.

-It’s not hard to get caught up in the politics and scandals happening within an organization that’s supposed to be one of morals.

-Peter Straughan’s crackling script offers up multiple questions for the audience to ponder about this ancient tradition while questioning how the church should move forward.

-A script as good as this is an absolute gem for this gifted cast to chew on. They’re each given their own secrets and motives to play with in their own attempts at becoming Pope. Ralph Fiennes holds steadfast in obtaining the truth. He’s an admirable choice to lead the film as Cardinal Lawrence wrestles with his relationship with his faith. Watching him play off Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow is an actor’s dream. Isabella Rossellini has a small, but impactful role as Sister Agnes.

–Conclave is not only a rich acting piece, but every creative choice is perfection from its costume design to how director Edward Berger uses the camera. It all comes together so beautifully right up until its shocking ending that will have the audience talking.

RATING: 4.5 out of 5 TICKET STUBS