Manchester by the Sea

I spent the first 23 years of my life living in what i regard as the original Manchester in north-west England, so I was always going to be intrigued by the title of this film. The small fishing town in Massachusetts is a character in itself and different scenes feature prominently in the cinematography.

In fact, by the time I saw the movie at the cinema, Casey Affleck had already deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his stunning - often understated - performance as Lee Chandler, a Boston janitor who has to return to his home town where he is astonished to find that, following the death of his brother Joe (Kyle Chandler), he has been given custody of his 16 year old nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges).

The story starts with scenes of Lee's life in Boston and it looks like this is a man with immense attitude. Only later do we learn, though one of many flash-backs, that this is not attitude, buy grief, guilt and white-hot anger. Affleck is rarely off the screen and gives a powerful and moving portrayal of a man that just cannot come to terms with his loss. This is not "About A Boy" (2002) where the youngster softens the man; this is more "Ordinary People" (1980) where deep pain has no ultimate resolution.

Among so many memorable scenes, two stand out: one in which very little is said and the music of Albinoni's Adagio has rarely been more heart-rending and another in which Joe meets his wife Randi (Michelle Williams) when little more is said but grief is shown to be unbridgeable. Writer and director Kennth Lonergan has given us a genuine tour de force.

The best part about this movie is the emotional connection it establishes with the protagonist. You could actually feel for Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck in a truly Oscar worthy performance) when he tries to cope up with the tragedy that has destroyed him as a person. He is an emotionally distraught person yet he realizes the fact that he must continue to live, continue to take responsibility that he despises the most because of the tragedy that he has faced in his life, fighting his inner daemons to be a nice guardian to his nephew.

Lee is a janitor working in Boston when he gets to know about the sudden death of his brother due to heart attack in Manchester which is also the place where Lee belongs. As per his brother's will Lee has to be the guardian of his 16 year old son. Lee is much reluctant to accept this responsibility despite the fact that he loves his nephew very much. How he accept the responsibility and finally gives in to every wish of his nephew, which includes moving to Manchester, a place he so despises due to the personal tragedy he has suffered forms the crux of the story.

Initially it is hard to understand the erratic and reserved behavior of Lee considering his jovial nature from the pre-tragedy flashbacks but as soon as you get to know of the tragedy you completely change your thinking about Lee and your heart reaches out to him. The reason for this change is the way Lee is played by Casey Affleck. He makes the character his own and not once you feel like he is acting..no melodrama. Such a restrained performance yet conveying the frustration of the character beautifully to viewers is something not many actors can achieve. Full credits to him for such a brilliant portrayal.

We get to hear a lot of stories about someone's struggle to achieve his or her dream by facing all difficulties, hardships and those stories then becomes a source of inspiration to those having similar dreams but are yet to achieve the same. But what about those who have no dreams or rather have lost the ability to dream, those whose past haunts them so much that a dream has no meaning in their life. All they have are nightmares. Clearly such stories does not inspire them. Then what is it that keeps them going? What are their struggles? Even if they hope to be caring to their loved ones, even if they live and survive for their well being, they must fight the past and it is this struggle which makes for a compelling viewing. These stories should also be a source of inspiration to those depressed souls with similar traumatic pasts and that is what this movie does brilliantly. In a way this movie reminded me of 'The pursuit of happiness' in terms of a man's struggle to survive and care for one's loved ones. But in this case it is not the outside world they are fighting but the world inside them.

This film left me feeling all sorts of emotions. It's definitely one of the most depressing films I've ever seen.

Manchester by the Sea tells the story of a depressed man named Lee who has to take care of his brother's son after his unfortunate death.

This is not a film that you go to watch for a good time. Manchester by the Sea made me feel really sad throughout the entirety of it and it's mainly done through the amazing performances and level of authenticity writer-director Kenneth Lonergan creates. This film is very simple. It's not stylish in any way and Lonergan's script maintains the realism through the runtime. At no point did I think there were actors playing the characters because the performances and conversations they were all having seemed too real. This made Lonergan's story about guilt, pain and depression more impactful and heartbreaking.

In my opinion, this is a career best performance by Casey Affleck. It's a performance that's rather sombre instead of flashy. His facial expressions are very subtle but you can still tell how broken and unhappy of a man he is. When you first see his character, you tend to dislike him but after finding out the reason why he's so miserable, you root for him and want him to recover from his depressive state. Michelle Williams isn't in the film much but she's brilliant in all the scenes she's present in. I thought Lucas Hedges was good but there were times where I found his accent quite jarring and a scene where he cries didn't seem too realistic.

It's best going into Manchester by the Sea not knowing much as I feel it makes the film more poignant. It's may not be an easy watch but I would like people to experience it so they can see the Kenneth Lonergan's talent as well as Casey Affleck's masterful performance.

In spite of a most annoying & pretentious score, this was a very moving film--actually a mouth-gaping appreciation of Casey Affleck. He carries the film, along with the actor playing his brother, Michelle Williams, & his nephew. Some scenes early on seem to plod on, and the pivotal scene of Affleck's past (that will forever haunt him) is reconstructed by voice-over rather than __seeing__ the evidence, which becomes a little disconcerting, considering how important it is. I was really impressed by Affleck's character, who seemed incapable of enjoying anything in his life. His alcoholism is palpable, as well as his violence, but he plays a wholly realized character--infinitely better than he did in "Gone Baby Gone." I hope he wins an Oscar for this role: I've never seen him better. And Michelle Williams is wonderful, especially in a near-conclusion confrontation with Affleck: that alone is Oscar-worthy. It's beautifully shot in the actual Manchester-by-the-Sea, and it's definitely worth seeing.

Lee Chandler is made to take on his nephew after his brother dies an untimely death, Lee is incredibly depressed and affected by his past.

As the film develops, so does the relationship between Lee and Patrick, we learn why Lee is the way he is, and the events that helped to shape him, and make him such a complex figure.

I haven't seen a film like this for some time, it's purely melodrama, but to it's credit, it's very good. Take a tip from Me, if you're in a mood, or feeling down, do not watch this, it will compound your low spirits. If you're up for an engaging, moving two hours on intense character play, you'll find this very good.

I had absolutely no idea just how good an actor Casey Affleck is, and that's my own fault, he is absolutely tremendous throughout, he makes Lee a truly interesting guy.

The music is a real hindrance here, it detracts from the film, it isn't bad, it's just wrong for the film. Adagio in G Minor, it's a glorious piece of music, but it is so out of place, it jars uncomfortably at a key point.

It takes a little time to warm up, and for you to engage, when it does, it's an excellent film, 8/10.