Manchester by the Sea

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

**** (out of 4)

After the sudden death of his brother, Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) must return to the town that he has been running from in order to take care of his 16-year-old nephew (Lucas Hedges). It doesn't take long for the haunting past to catch up with Lee who might just not be able to face it.

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA is an extremely quiet movie but it's also a very powerful one. I'm not going to say anything else about the plot as I don't want to give anything away but it's certainly a very deep and emotional gem that has an extremely good story as well as some magnificent and emotionally charged performances. This certainly isn't a movie that's going to have a wide appeal because it's just too depressing for that but those willing to sit through it will find it to be quite rewarding.

Writer-director Kenneth Lonergan does a magnificent job with the screenplay and I especially liked the structure that the film goes for. We're given a few flashbacks throughout the early part of the film to give us enough information to explain why the Lee character is the way he is. When we first meet him he's somewhat of a jerk and you can just feel that there's some hidden pain in him. I really thought the film used the flashbacks perfectly to show us what caused Lee to get this way and the film plays out perfectly well as all of the past comes back. We've seen several films deal with a character battling the past but I must say that this here is one of the best examples of a man being haunted and finally having to face his demons.

As great as the screenplay is, you've also got some terrific performances to help pull out all of the emotion. Hedges is extremely good in the role of the nephew and Kyle Chandler is terrific in his few scenes as the brother. The always dependable Michelle Williams' turns in another remarkable performance as the ex-wife who has her own set of pain. The film, however, clearly belongs to Affleck who turns in the greatest performance of his career. He talks in a very quiet manor and sometimes he doesn't say anything at all but you can just look in Affleck's eyes and see the pain. In the way he walks you can see the weight of the world holding him down. This is a very emotional performance and a deep and haunting one yet the actor pulls it off without a problem.

The film also benefits from a terrific score, some beautiful cinematography and there's no question that the setting is perfect for the story. As I said, this is a mighty depressing film so I can see why some might want to tap out early on but those willing to sit through it will certainly be rewarded with a powerful film with some of the best acting of the year.

Very real, great acting, sweet and moving. Beautiful scenery tbh. I wish the ending had been a little different, but I guess it was meant to leave it up in the air for your own imagination. Well played by the casts.

The best part about this movie is the emotional connection it establishes with the protagonist. You could actually feel for Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck in a truly Oscar worthy performance) when he tries to cope up with the tragedy that has destroyed him as a person. He is an emotionally distraught person yet he realizes the fact that he must continue to live, continue to take responsibility that he despises the most because of the tragedy that he has faced in his life, fighting his inner daemons to be a nice guardian to his nephew.

Lee is a janitor working in Boston when he gets to know about the sudden death of his brother due to heart attack in Manchester which is also the place where Lee belongs. As per his brother's will Lee has to be the guardian of his 16 year old son. Lee is much reluctant to accept this responsibility despite the fact that he loves his nephew very much. How he accept the responsibility and finally gives in to every wish of his nephew, which includes moving to Manchester, a place he so despises due to the personal tragedy he has suffered forms the crux of the story.

Initially it is hard to understand the erratic and reserved behavior of Lee considering his jovial nature from the pre-tragedy flashbacks but as soon as you get to know of the tragedy you completely change your thinking about Lee and your heart reaches out to him. The reason for this change is the way Lee is played by Casey Affleck. He makes the character his own and not once you feel like he is acting..no melodrama. Such a restrained performance yet conveying the frustration of the character beautifully to viewers is something not many actors can achieve. Full credits to him for such a brilliant portrayal.

We get to hear a lot of stories about someone's struggle to achieve his or her dream by facing all difficulties, hardships and those stories then becomes a source of inspiration to those having similar dreams but are yet to achieve the same. But what about those who have no dreams or rather have lost the ability to dream, those whose past haunts them so much that a dream has no meaning in their life. All they have are nightmares. Clearly such stories does not inspire them. Then what is it that keeps them going? What are their struggles? Even if they hope to be caring to their loved ones, even if they live and survive for their well being, they must fight the past and it is this struggle which makes for a compelling viewing. These stories should also be a source of inspiration to those depressed souls with similar traumatic pasts and that is what this movie does brilliantly. In a way this movie reminded me of 'The pursuit of happiness' in terms of a man's struggle to survive and care for one's loved ones. But in this case it is not the outside world they are fighting but the world inside them.

Being familiar with director Kenneth Lonergan's previous work, one knew what to expect from his chosen themes and his style. 'Manchester By the Sea' has Lonergan written all over it, and while it was not a "love" film it was an "appreciate" one.

It is an uneven film and understandably polarising (people will love the acting, inspired use of music and the mix of humour and pathos but others will find it overlong, slow and rambling), with a first half that will alienate some. There are many things that impress, especially the acting which is what drives 'Manchester By the Sea'. This said, even if my reaction to 'Manchester By the Sea' was less (like it wasn't for me or intensely disliking it, I would have no problem with anybody saying they liked it, not the sort of person who condescends and shows a lack of maturity and respect to other people's opinions (one of my bugbears on IMDb).

Getting on to my hopefully balanced review of 'Manchester By the Sea', pointing out its flaws and merits, as said it is easy to see why 'Manchester By the Sea' is not for everybody. It is perhaps longer than necessary, some of the first half did tend to ramble and could have done with a trimming. In fact, the first half generally wasn't as interesting as the rest of the film, and likely to put people off watching any further. It did tend to be dull and meandering, the mix from flashback to present day not always clear and didn't always go anywhere. It was when the tragedy came in and the relationship between Lee and Patrick when 'Manchester By the Sea' becomes more worthwhile if stuck with.

After this point, 'Manchester By the Sea's' only faults are a few contrived moments (like the freezer scene and the at times excessive and out of place F bombs) and an ending that falls on the abrupt side.

However, 'Manchester By the Sea' has suitably picturesque scenery and is shot with a lot of atmosphere. Lonergan directs with a lot of thoughtfulness and restraint and much of the script has a good balance of humour (with some genuine belly laughs with Lee and Patrick) and pathos (the fire and funeral scenes will have one reaching for the tissues). The show-down between Lee and Randi is beautifully played and electric.

'Manchester By the Sea's' best asset is by far the acting. Lucas Hedges makes a compellingly real character out of one that could easily have been annoying, and while Michelle Williams is underused she also gives a remarkably moving performance. Kyle Chandler also impresses. 'Manchester By the Sea' is Casey Affleck's film though, Affleck is on blistering form and has rarely been better in his tough-talking and also introverted role.

Also want to mention the music, giving much intensity and poignancy to the drama with inspired use of pre-existing music. Albinoni has never been more affectingly utilised on film, his "Adagio" can be one of those over-exposed pieces of music but here added so much to the drama's emotion that it was truly beautiful and haunting. Another effective use of music was "He Shall Feed His Flock...Come Onto Him", the alto and soprano duet from Handel's 'Messiah'.

In summary, slow start but sticking with it 'Manchester By the Sea' rewards. Didn't love it, but there was enough to make it appreciate it. 7/10 Bethany Cox

I spent the first 23 years of my life living in what i regard as the original Manchester in north-west England, so I was always going to be intrigued by the title of this film. The small fishing town in Massachusetts is a character in itself and different scenes feature prominently in the cinematography.

In fact, by the time I saw the movie at the cinema, Casey Affleck had already deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his stunning - often understated - performance as Lee Chandler, a Boston janitor who has to return to his home town where he is astonished to find that, following the death of his brother Joe (Kyle Chandler), he has been given custody of his 16 year old nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges).

The story starts with scenes of Lee's life in Boston and it looks like this is a man with immense attitude. Only later do we learn, though one of many flash-backs, that this is not attitude, buy grief, guilt and white-hot anger. Affleck is rarely off the screen and gives a powerful and moving portrayal of a man that just cannot come to terms with his loss. This is not "About A Boy" (2002) where the youngster softens the man; this is more "Ordinary People" (1980) where deep pain has no ultimate resolution.

Among so many memorable scenes, two stand out: one in which very little is said and the music of Albinoni's Adagio has rarely been more heart-rending and another in which Joe meets his wife Randi (Michelle Williams) when little more is said but grief is shown to be unbridgeable. Writer and director Kennth Lonergan has given us a genuine tour de force.