Jesse Eisenberg has written, directed and starred in a film about Holocaust at a time when the Israel-Hamas war was in full flow. The heavy handed tactics employed by Israel were hugely criticized by the neutrals and the liberals. Some even compared it to the Nazi tactics employed during World War II by the German army against the Jews. So, in a way, the clueless American Jews in search of their roots symbolize the vast majority of Americans who blindly supported this current war. Reading between the lines, this film is a reminder to the present generation of Jews perhaps of the horrors their past generation had to endure. And an appeal to not repeat them, to not support such subjugation anywhere in the world.
The two cousins have no sense of history or culture and yet, when they visit the actual Nazi concentration camp at Majdanek, the sense of loss they feel is profound. Benji, in particular, has a breakdown and falls on his knees weeping. Benji has been a motormouth till now, free with his thoughts and ideas and this meltdown gives him an emotional catharsis. David too realizes that there dwells a well of deep sadness beneath his cousin’s happy-go-lucky demeanor. Another poignant moment occurs when David and Benji smoke up on the rooftop. That’s when David confesses the love he feels for his cousin and his fear of losing his best friend of sorts.
This is former child actor Kieran Culkin’s best role as an adult as yet and he grabs the opportunity with both hands and runs with it. His eccentricities, his unpredictability, bring in the most laughs. But one can sense the welter of discomfort in his eyes. His most poignant moment comes when he sits back at the airport at the end, when they return to America. He chooses to stay back and observe the teeming humanity around him, as he has nowhere to go. He’s truly a lost soul, without an anchor. Jesse Eisenberg is known for his comic antics but this time has played a more understated character, letting Kieran bask in the limelight. He’s more of an observer, coming to grips with his cousin’s absurdity and yet not limiting his fondness because of it. He’s made acting look easy with his wholesome performance. The two actors play off each other and looking at them, one feels one’s watching actual cousins taking a trip together.
Eisenberg hasn’t let directing duties get to him and has succeeded in making a heartfelt buddy/road movie, with deeper political connotations, if you care to scratch the surface.
