Manchester by the Sea

Manchester by the Sea is a movie that reeks of the influence of its producer Matt Damon. Here's another story about a soft-spoken, sometimes volatile, man from New England having to deal with complex emotional turmoil with Casey Affleck in the lead role. However the main addition was respected writer/director Kenneth Lonergan who turned this simple story into one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year with six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. So does the movie deserve the praise? Today we find out.

The movie follows Lee Chandler, a soft-spoken handyman who receives the upsetting news that his brother has had a heart attack and passed away in his former hometown Manchester by the Sea. Eager to help his family and his nephew cope and move on, Chandler is startled to discover that he has been named the boy's guardian and soon struggles to fulfill his new legal obligations and outrun the demons that made him leave Manchester in the first place.

Manchester by the Sea is one of the best "one and done" movies that I've seen in recent memory. By "one and done" I mean that the film is at its most potent and interesting the first time around but it is also so sad and heart-breaking that going through it all again would be a exercise in masochism. This is a movie about the impact of grief and tragedy, and its simple message doesn't require multiple viewings.

The reason its so effective is an emphasis on naturalistic dialogue and acting. A lot of critics have already pointed this out, but I thought I would try to explain the difference between standard movie dialogue and the kind you'll find in this movie. In a lot of movies, dialogue typically has a staged feel be it in a larger than life delivery, a clear end game, or long segments of exposition where an entire character's backstory will be given. By comparison, Manchester by the Sea's group scenes are far less polished. People start and stop sentences as they either try to start speaking or avoid speaking over someone else and there's a shared knowledge that's implied but never explained. It means that scenes that fill out character's backstories are actual scenes rather than an exposition dumb and gives a number of scenes some semblance of mystery.

Likewise, people don't react to emotional news the way you'd expect. The deceased brother's son doesn't have a breakdown when he first hears the news, but when it does finally hit home it all makes perfect sense. The movie is primarily about things people simply can't express, be it the extent of their grief, their motivations, or regret. I think movies like this tend to treat deep emotional pain as something that requires one breakthrough and then you're able to move on. But that's not reality nor this film's approach, sometimes life can break you or forever change you and all you can do is do your best from there.

This naturalistic approach is also embodied by the actor's that are all well-suited to the material. Casey Affleck shoulders the brunt of the film, but this is right in his wheelhouse. Affleck has always been best playing quiet, sometimes volatile, men and moments like a painful conversation with his ex-wife, played perfectly by Michelle Williams, are truly stunning. The big question for a lot of people is whether or not Affleck should even be in consideration for an acting award due to the sexual assault case in his past. By my estimation this is a good performance but not one that's so overwhelming good that "it must be rewarded regardless." I'll get more into why later this week, but put succinctly, I want true penance before I award a performance like this.

The rest of the cast is all game as well, with the aforementioned Michelle Williams making the most of limited screen time, and Lucas Hedges bringing a decent amount of depth to the "angst ridden teen." role we've seen so many times. Even bit players like Kyle Chandler tell you pretty much everything you need to know about their characters in single scenes.

If there is a slight fault in the film it's that it occasionally shifts between the past and the present without much explanation. It's relatively obvious, but if you've lost your focus for a second you could be forgiven for wondering, wait wasn't he just doing something else? There's also some stereotypical teenage shenanigans which seem at odds with the film's more emotional material, but you can't wallow too much if you're claiming to present reality.

Honest, well-written, and superbly acted Manchester by the Sea isn't easy viewing, but it is easily one of the best films of the year. I recommend this one.