It’s not difficult to understand why Manchester by the Sea is a hard sell to casual moviegoers (even I had not planned on seeing this movie until it earned more and more awards recognition, including six Academy Award nominations). It is the story of a withdrawn and somber man, Lee (Casey Affleck), who has to go back to his home town after the death of his brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler), to look after his nephew, Patrick, and must deal with memories of a past tragedy. Some critics, in an effort to coax reluctant moviegoers to see what seems like a rather gloomy drama, have talked up Manchester by the Sea as being surprisingly funny. This is not
untrue, but people shouldn’t go into this movie expecting a dark comedy. Any
humor in Manchester by the Sea comes
across as incidental, as though it slipped in by accident in spite of the heavy
subject matter. Those comedic moments feel real and that is one area in which
this movie excels. When Patrick, played by Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges, tells his uncle that his girlfriend is going to
spend the night, there is a long awkward pause before Lee responds with, “Am I
supposed to tell you to use a condom?” Lee is not up for the role of legal
guardian and he knows it.
Casey Affleck’s low key and incredible performance is the
centerpiece of Manchester by the Sea
and has made him the frontrunner for the Best Actor Oscar. Lee is a relatively
silent character. He pushes down his emotions but never escapes them. Returning
to his hometown of Manchester by the Sea is an unhappy prospect. Being named
legal guardian of his nephew in his brother’s will is another unhappy prospect.
It’s not that Lee doesn’t care about his nephew, flashbacks show that he has
affection for Patrick and had no problem expressing it, but that was before
Lee suffered the devastating tragedy that still looms over his every waking
moment. None of the reviews I read for Manchester
by the Sea state what that tragedy is, so I won’t either, but it becomes
quite clear early on in the movie.
Writer-director Kenneth Lonergan has directed two other films (You Can Count on Me and Margaret), but his background is as a
playwright. While Margaret was loaded
with big emotions and big showy performances, everything about Manchester by the Sea feels subdued. The
one notable exception is when we finally get the flashback of the tragedy in
Lee’s past; the reveal is almost operatic (it’s worth noting that Margaret ended at an opera). As the film
goes on and Lee spends more time back in Manchester, the film starts
to feel episodic and starts to drag. It’s not that scenes go on for too long,
there are just too many of them (the first scene I would cut is Lonergan’s
extended cameo). Lonergan, who picked up Oscar nominations for Director and
Original Screenplay, hasn’t given us a play written for the screen. Scenes are
not limited to one or two sets, he really opens up the world of these
characters making Manchester by the Sea (a town with an improbable name) feel
like a real town populated by real people.
Manchester by the
Sea’s premise is a simple one: at worst, it is fodder for a
cheesy Hallmark Channel movie, at its best it is a portrait of a man dealing
with grief and emotional pain on a day to day basis who slowly finds his
footing again. Things don’t wrap up with a nice bow, but they end as best they
could for these characters. It’s a satisfying conclusion to everything we’ve just
seen. Yes, Manchester by the Sea
deals with tragic events and a dour character, but if you’re looking for a film
that will leave you feeling despondent and depressed you’ll have to find
another movie.
Nominees: Lauren Beck, Matt Damon, Kimberly Steward, Chris
Moore, Kevin J. Walsh, producers Director: Kenneth Lonergan
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