Director Kenneth Lonergan
Genre Drama
Cast Casey Affleck, Kyle Chandler, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges
Rating R
Release Date December 16th, 2016
“An uncle is forced to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy’s father dies.”
Manchester by the Sea is an intensely emotional drama, written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan. The film takes place in an actual town called Manchester-by-the-Sea located on the North Shore of Massachusetts. The town was known simply as Manchester until 1989, after a controversial campaign to change the name. Manchester by the Sea premiered at Sundance Film festival in 2016, and was previously featured on the 2014 Blacklist- the list of the most "liked" unmade scripts of the year. The film stars Casey Affleck, Kyle Chandler, Michelle Williams, and Lucas Hedges.
Revolving around a difficult and understandably depressing subject matter, Manchester by the Sea is expertly acted and genuinely heartfelt. It honestly felt like an eternity from when I heard about this film to when it finally received a wide-release in my area, but it was well worth the wait. This is the epitome of film as an art form by way of showcasing human emotion in all its varying complexities. I had a pretty good idea what to expect from the premise as a whole but I was honestly taken back a bit in terms of just how deep and involved the script was, which was well beyond what was presented in the trailer or the synopsis. In my humble opinion, what makes the success of this film so impressive is the fact that it was built from the ground up with raw "ingredients," compared to that of the standard CGI-heavy super hero movie. Manchester by the Sea shines thanks to a deeply emotional and heartfelt script, flawless directing, and a uniquely talented and hardworking cast with incredible chemistry. To an extent I feel as though you need to have experienced a significant loss at some point in your life to truly connect with the emotions the characters are experiencing, and the fact that each and every individual handles loss in a variety of ways. But at the same time, what makes Manchester by the Sea such an impactful film is the depth of the characters, making it possible for audiences of varying backgrounds to appreciate the powerful message conveyed by the film.
You simply can't deny the importance of the screenplay in terms of the success achieved by Manchester by the Sea, but none of that would matter without the performances delivered by an outstanding cast. I personally feel like Casey Affleck is easily the most underappreciated actor in Hollywood, and the guy delivers one incredible performance after another. Affleck seems to be the rare actor that is genuinely selective in terms of the projects he is willing to take on, and although he has starred in some great films, rarely are they big-budget releases that catch the attention of pretty much everyone worldwide. Every now and then his name will pop up as a supporting actor in a big Hollywood release, but generally when he is the lead, the film is almost always of the independent variety. I can just about guarantee the majority of you reading this have yet to even hear about Affleck's 2013 film Ain't Them Bodies Saints, where he starred alongside Rooney Mara and Ben Foster. If you can appreciate a quality indie film with an artful feel, check that one out. To no surprise Affleck is absolutely amazing in Manchester by the Sea, as he manages to display a range of emotion rarely seen, while playing the role of a man holding on to more pain than most of us will experience in our lifetimes. Affleck deserves a shot at Best Actor, no question about it. Another actor who deserves mentioning come award time is co-star Lucas Hedges. Hedges delivers what I consider a breakout role as he develops impeccable on-screen chemistry with Affleck. Michelle Williams delivers a beautiful performance by somehow perfectly matching Affleck's emotional intensity during the crucial scenes they have together. Overall, just an outstanding job by the entire cast bringing their characters to life while exhibiting the highest level of human emotion.
As pointed out by star Casey Affleck when he recently hosted SNL, Manchester by the Sea is a seriously depressing film due to the all-encompassing "dark cloud" hovered over the characters, but it is so well-written and expertly acted that you will be captivated nonetheless. This is a fine example of a film that works because everything comes together perfectly. The script has depth, the directing style and cinematography make you feel like you are there, and most importantly the emotion displayed by the characters will undoubtedly give you chills. I had sky-high expectations and Manchester by the Sea met my expectations and then some. This is a film that feels very real, and includes real-life characters dealing with some of life's most trying times, so if you are expecting a cookie-cutter script with a fairy-tale ending, you will be disappointed. If you want to experience one of the best film's 2016 has to offer, look no further. Highly recommended.
