The nominations include Best Musical or Comedy, Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for Eisenberg himself, Best Supporting Actor for Kieran Culkin, and Best Screenplay.
The film follows cousins David (played by Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) as they journey to Poland to honor their late grandmother.
Along the way, they explore their family’s past, discover new places and attempt to mend their strained relationship.
The story takes viewers through Warsaw and the eastern cities of Lublin and Krasnystaw, with significant contributions from Polish creatives: Michał Dymek handled cinematography, Mela Melak oversaw production design, and Ewa Puszczyńska served as one of the producers.
Eisenberg described the film as partly autobiographical, rooted in his own sentimental trip to Poland.
"Every scene in the script included Chopin’s music—it’s all about Poland," Eisenberg said, as quoted by Poland's PAP news agency.
"We shot every scene here except two car shots filmed in New York City," he added.
He revealed that the house featured in the film is where his grandmother lived and emphasized the importance of Polish locations in telling his family's story.
The director blends historical, dramatic and humorous elements, drawing from his experience as a playwright.
"My style and tone—humorous, dramatic, and emotional—are consistent here, but A Real Pain has received far more appreciation than my earlier work. I feel very fortunate,” Eisenberg was quoted as saying.
Eisenberg is widely known for his roles in The Social Network, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Zombieland, and Now You See Me.
He earned an Oscar nomination for The Social Network and recently became an honorary citizen of Poland's Krasnystaw for promoting the town through the film.
Kieran Culkin, who co-stars in A Real Pain, is celebrated for his Emmy-winning role as Roman Roy in the hit series Succession. He has also appeared in films such as Igby Goes Down and The Cider House Rules.
The Golden Globe winners will be announced on January 6.
Competing against A Real Pain in the Best Musical or Comedy category are Anora, Challengers, Emilia Pérez, Substance and Wicked.
Eisenberg faces stiff competition in the Best Actor category, which includes nominees such as Hugh Grant (Heretic), Jesse Plemons (Kinds of Kindness), and Sebastian Stan (A Different Man).
Culkin’s fellow nominees for Best Supporting Actor include Edward Norton (Unknown), Jeremy Strong (The Chosen) and Denzel Washington (Gladiator II).
Jesse Eisenberg. Photo: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
A Real Pain has already captured attention as a heartfelt exploration of family, heritage and personal growth, brought to life with a distinctly Polish flavor.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, kurierlubelski.pl