Storyline
An uncle is forced to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy's father dies.
Cast: Casey Affleck -
Lee Chandler
Michelle Williams -
Randi Chandler
Kyle Chandler -
Joe Chandler
Lucas Hedges -
Patrick
Liam McNeill -
Josh (Randi's Husband)
C.J. Wilson -
George
Heather Burns -
Jill
Tate Donovan -
Hockey Coach
Josh Hamilton -
Wes, Joe's Lawyer
Matthew Broderick -
Jeffrey
Gretchen Mol -
Elise
Tom Kemp -
Stan Chandler
Ben O'Brien -
Young Patrick
Mary Mallen -
Sharon
Anna Baryshnikov -
Sandy
Trivia: Matt Damon was initially set to direct and star in the film. See more »
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User Review
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Rating: 10/10
After the sudden death of his older brother, Lee, played by Casey
Affleck, is made legal guardian of his son Patrick. He then returns to
his hometown and is forced to deal with a tragic past that separated
him from his family and the community he was born and raised in.
Kenneth Lonergan is such an extraordinary and talented writer; his
beautifully, and richly, textured drama draws upon the timeless themes
of recovery, redemption, and the persistence of guilt in such a way
that feels fresh. The emotion is never overbearing for the sake of
being overbearing, rather it feels all too real, which is a credit to
the writing as much as it is to the fantastic performances.
This is the 'Casey Affleck show' from beginning to end; you can just
give him the 'Best Actor' Oscar right now and save everyone a whole lot
of trouble. He radiates this aura of subtle magnetism so brilliantly
and effortlessly; there's not a single emotion on the spectrum that
goes unexploited.
As much as the film is about Lee and his internal journey from tragedy
to something a lot more hopeful, it's also about his nephew, played by
Lucas Hedges, who has a very bright future, and his personal struggle
to cope with his father's death. Despite having a small yet significant
part in the film, Michelle Williams' performance is a treasure to
behold. There's one scene, in particular, where she got everyone in
attendance wishing they brought a tissue.
Unlike many big-budget studio movies, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA is not
afraid to make the audience work and test the viewer's patience with
its constant, and unannounced, cutting between past and present, as
well as its unwavering unravelling of character background and
motivation. In fact, one of its best aspects is the lack of close-ups.
Almost everything is filmed from afar, which reflects Lee's emotional
distancing. And it's not until later where you finally find out why
this guy has detached himself from the rest of the world. Then, from
that point on, you're in his head; you watch the film unfold from a
point-of-view almost entirely foreign to how you viewed it at first.
Regardless of the second half's slackening pace and film's familiar
DNA, this is without a doubt the most personal and heart wrenching film
of 2016 thus far. Maybe even the best.
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