Numbers obtained from IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes on February 14, 2017.
My rating IMDb Rotten Tomatoes
Critics Audience Critics Audience
9/10 96/100 8.1/10 96% 81%
Sometimes we go to the movies knowing exactly the type of film we are going to watch, i.e., drama, comedy, action, etc., based mainly on the trailer and on the synopsis. There are other times, however, when neither is very clear and we walk in a bit unprepared. This is what happened to me when I watched Manchester by the Sea: I had seen the trailer and read the description before, but nothing in the world could have prepared me for what I was about to see.
To put into perspective, Jimmy Fallon mentioned during the Golden Globes that Manchester by the Sea was “the only thing from 2016 that was more depressing than 2016”! That alone can give a sense of how tense and sad the story is.
Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, it is nominated for 6 Academy Awards and it deserves every single one of these nominations.
The movie tells the story of Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck, nominated for Best Actor), a lonely janitor who lives in Boston and is clearly depressed. He doesn’t show any type of excitement during the day and goes back to an empty small apartment at night. One day, however, he gets a call and has to go back to his hometown (Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts). His brother Joe (Kyle Chandler) has passed away and left in his will a request that Lee be the guardian of his son Patrick (Lucas Hedges, nominated for Best Supporting Actor).
Neither Patrick nor Lee like the arrangement, but Lee stays in town for a while to deal with the situation. Little by little, during flashbacks, we begin to understand why Lee is so depressed and moved away.
One can clearly see that Lee is a broken man, trapped within himself. Nothing brings him joy and it seems like he stopped trying to be happy. This complex man is so perfectly portrait by Casey Affleck that the audience cannot help but feel sorry for that character – especially during the climax. Casey Affleck’s best performance during the film must be precisely at the most important scene, when we finally understand what happened to Lee. It is such a powerful moment, intensified by the score – the scene is accompanied by Adagio Per Archi E Organo in Sol Minore.
It is also worth mentioning the other members of the cast, especially Lucas Hedges and Michelle Williams, both nominated in the supporting acting categories. Lucas Hedges is able to show the sorrow his character is feeling due to his father’s death as well as some sense of humor (he is responsible for most of the movie’s lighter and funnier scenes). Michelle Williams, on the other hand, has little time on-screen, but that didn’t stop her from shining and giving a great performance.
Kenneth Logan has done an outstanding job with Manchester by the Sea and he definitely deserves both of his nominations (Best Director and Best Original Screenplay). I believe he has greater chance of winning for the screenplay, but I would be happy if he won any of them.
Therefore, Manchester by the Sea is a story that will certainly move the audience and it is not one of those films to be watched if you just want light entertainment. Be prepared to get a punch in the stomach and feel Lee’s pain.
