Manchester by the Sea - Review
Director: Kenneth Lonergan
Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, Kyle Chandler
Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan has been quietly working in Hollywood for years now with critically hailed films such as You Can Count on Me and Margaret under his belt. Having been held in high regard from those in the industry, Lonergan's name has not quite travelled to the realm of public recognition. However, Manchester by the Sea looks set to be the picture that propels the filmmaker to new heights of exposure and provide a star-making turn for Casey Affleck.
Living a brooding life as a janitor in Boston, Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is suddenly summoned back to his home town, Manchester in Massachusetts, by the death of his older brother. After being appointed as guardian to his nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges), Lee must spend more time in his former place of residence than is comfortable for him and his grief can all but consume him.
Much like Lonergan's career in Hollywood, Manchester by the Sea is a quiet presence. Full of understated but powerfully resonant moments, the film adopts an often underused strategy to keep an audience riveted; If you want to get someone's attention, whisper your intentions, don't shout them. That philosophy is utilised to great effect and as a result we're emotionally invested throughout. Although flashbacks reveal some devastating backstory and high-octane drama, the orchestral score that overlays the gut-wrenching imagery is a beautiful accompaniment and it never steps into melodramatic territory - which is crucial in a picture that is a celebration of the mundane. Lee makes the necessary arrangements for his deceased brother, couriers his nephew around and spends his free time drinking in bars. Hardly the definition of an exciting watch, but Lonergan's keen eye for detailing the commonplace is mandatory viewing.
The impact of these muted moments partially hinges on the naturalistic dialogue, an art form within itself that Lonergan has mastered time and time again. Amidst the anguish, humour is never neglected but never forced. When Patrick has a panic attack over the thought of his father's body being kept in a freezer, triggered by a freezer spillage at home, an emotionally tone deaf Lee offers unintended levity, "If you're going to freak out every time you see a frozen chicken I think we should go to the hospital." For ever tearful occasion, there's a well measured joke or amusing line. The relationship between Lee and Patrick revolves around this balance and their interactions are profoundly realistic. As they experience getting to know each other again, their attitudes begin to shift; Lee learns to be compassionate and is forced to care for another person for the first time in years and Patrick, whose primary concern is his own libido, becomes aware of his uncle's turmoil in a way that he was previously oblivious to. However, neither character undergo a radical change or evolution, but that isn't the purpose of the story. It's simply a study of pain and the misfortune of living with it.
Perfectly capturing this sentiment is the performance given by Casey Affleck which is nothing short of a gathering storm. Interspersed flashbacks expose a Lee Chandler who was once the life and should of the party, an attentive brother and uncle and devoted father and husband. But after a terrible tragedy he becomes a broken man, a shadow of his former self. Through subtle facial ticks and a hunched posture, it's clear that Lee is constantly fighting an internal battle to keep his simmering heartbreak below the surface, and returning to Manchester only exacerbates this state where his name is the one on everyone's lips. In one stirringly pivotal scene between Lee and his ex-wife Randi (Michelle Williams), Lee is confronted by his past as Randi attempts to make a re-connection only to find that the distance between them has grown too great. Some wounds are too deep that even time cannot heal them.
An enriching family drama powered by sensitive direction, a compelling script and evocative performances, Manchester by the Sea is a bruising and unflinching depiction of grief. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll be rewarded.
EB
Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, Kyle Chandler
Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan has been quietly working in Hollywood for years now with critically hailed films such as You Can Count on Me and Margaret under his belt. Having been held in high regard from those in the industry, Lonergan's name has not quite travelled to the realm of public recognition. However, Manchester by the Sea looks set to be the picture that propels the filmmaker to new heights of exposure and provide a star-making turn for Casey Affleck.Living a brooding life as a janitor in Boston, Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is suddenly summoned back to his home town, Manchester in Massachusetts, by the death of his older brother. After being appointed as guardian to his nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges), Lee must spend more time in his former place of residence than is comfortable for him and his grief can all but consume him.
Much like Lonergan's career in Hollywood, Manchester by the Sea is a quiet presence. Full of understated but powerfully resonant moments, the film adopts an often underused strategy to keep an audience riveted; If you want to get someone's attention, whisper your intentions, don't shout them. That philosophy is utilised to great effect and as a result we're emotionally invested throughout. Although flashbacks reveal some devastating backstory and high-octane drama, the orchestral score that overlays the gut-wrenching imagery is a beautiful accompaniment and it never steps into melodramatic territory - which is crucial in a picture that is a celebration of the mundane. Lee makes the necessary arrangements for his deceased brother, couriers his nephew around and spends his free time drinking in bars. Hardly the definition of an exciting watch, but Lonergan's keen eye for detailing the commonplace is mandatory viewing.
The impact of these muted moments partially hinges on the naturalistic dialogue, an art form within itself that Lonergan has mastered time and time again. Amidst the anguish, humour is never neglected but never forced. When Patrick has a panic attack over the thought of his father's body being kept in a freezer, triggered by a freezer spillage at home, an emotionally tone deaf Lee offers unintended levity, "If you're going to freak out every time you see a frozen chicken I think we should go to the hospital." For ever tearful occasion, there's a well measured joke or amusing line. The relationship between Lee and Patrick revolves around this balance and their interactions are profoundly realistic. As they experience getting to know each other again, their attitudes begin to shift; Lee learns to be compassionate and is forced to care for another person for the first time in years and Patrick, whose primary concern is his own libido, becomes aware of his uncle's turmoil in a way that he was previously oblivious to. However, neither character undergo a radical change or evolution, but that isn't the purpose of the story. It's simply a study of pain and the misfortune of living with it.
Perfectly capturing this sentiment is the performance given by Casey Affleck which is nothing short of a gathering storm. Interspersed flashbacks expose a Lee Chandler who was once the life and should of the party, an attentive brother and uncle and devoted father and husband. But after a terrible tragedy he becomes a broken man, a shadow of his former self. Through subtle facial ticks and a hunched posture, it's clear that Lee is constantly fighting an internal battle to keep his simmering heartbreak below the surface, and returning to Manchester only exacerbates this state where his name is the one on everyone's lips. In one stirringly pivotal scene between Lee and his ex-wife Randi (Michelle Williams), Lee is confronted by his past as Randi attempts to make a re-connection only to find that the distance between them has grown too great. Some wounds are too deep that even time cannot heal them.
An enriching family drama powered by sensitive direction, a compelling script and evocative performances, Manchester by the Sea is a bruising and unflinching depiction of grief. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll be rewarded.
EB
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