Strong acting, solid directing, and compelling screenplay makes ‘Manchester by The Sea’ a great drama about grief.
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‘Manchester by The Sea’ is a compelling slice-of-life drama, as we follow how the death of Joe Chandler (Kyle Chandler) affects his 16-year-old son Patrick (Lucas Hedges) and brother Lee (Casey Affleck). The poster featuring Lee and his ex-wife Randi (Michelle Williams) is very misleading as she appears little in this film.
The film is written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, who clearly deserves his Oscar nominations for both screenplay and directing. The film is very intimate, almost documentary-like. The pace of this 138-minute feature is rather slow, but does not feel boring. The flashbacks are interesting as well, revealing information that Joe’s death is not that unexpected after all, and why Randi and Lee divorced.
Lonergan does not shy away from showing the more boring aspects in dealing in a loved one’s death such as administrative tasks, calling the funeral parlour, or going to the lawyer to get Joe’s will. More importantly, it shows that life goes on. Patrick still goes to school, meets his friends, and goes for band and hockey practices.
The characters feel realistic and grounded. Lee’s tendency to express himself with violence gets a bit over-the-top sometimes, but we slowly understand how his past has shaped him. Each character is likeable enough but fundamentally flawed. All actors give raw, nuanced performances in their respective roles. Affleck and Hedges are impressive in portraying the growing relationship between Lee and Patrick. Williams and Chandler are great, too, although they could benefit from longer screentime. Another special mention goes to C.J. Wilson who plays George, a family friend of the Chandlers.
The cinematography is good, especially in showing how winter passes in the titular seaside city. It is not outstanding but is good enough. It has interesting choices of soundtrack from choral sounds to instrumentals to pop songs.
Strong acting, solid directing, and compelling screenplay makes ‘Manchester by The Sea’ a great drama about grief. The bittersweet ending is rather poignant without being too melodramatic. Its honest, intimate portrayal makes it one of the more memorable films from 2016. It is easy to see why the film has been collecting well-deserved accolades.
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