Manchester by the Sea (2016) Review

Manchester by the Sea is a 2016 drama film directed and written by Kenneth Lonergan, starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams.

Plot Synopsis
Lee Chandler is a miserable, drunken loner who works as as a handyman for an apartment block. His brother dies of cardiac arrest and now he's been named as the official guardian to his 16-year-old nephew. This brings him back to a dark and traumatizing past.

Introduction
I had my curiosity in this film mostly because I wanted to see something different for once. I've been sick and tired of watching over-the-top, high-budget, commercial superhero action flicks, that I've been dying to see something more laid back and more "different". I've been wanting to see more of these types of movies to get away from the over-budget type movies. So, is Manchester by the Sea any good?

The Positives
This is by far one of the best performances from Casey Affleck. One of the highlights of the film was the authenticity to the people's way of acting in the scenes. It actually feels like what you would hear in a real conversation and I like that. Also, the way the film is structured is non-linear and unorthodox, which gives it a very striking flavor to it. The film has a very unique way of giving exposition and setting up characters. Also, the film is truly an emotional film. You can feel the emotional weight and tension in these characters because of how authentic these characters are.

The Negatives
The film is very slow and I think this will kill the movie for a lot of audience members. I remember sitting in the theater and people yawned waiting for something to happen. Also, my biggest pet peeve with the film is that the character, especially Lee Chandler, is very static. They don't change a lot and there were a lot of opportunities that the film could have taken to make the emotional connection and impact even stronger, but it doesn't. Also, although the way the film shoots flashbacks is very unique and interesting, I think it will confuse audience members. I remember in the theater, some people were like "what's going on?" when the scene goes from present to flashback. I think the whole point of that is to resonate with Lee Chandler's disjointed character and to set him up

Conclusion
Overall, I think this is a solid movie and it will be one of the nominations to the Oscars. Casey Affleck's subdued performance drives this movie home for me. However, I think this movie is one of those films that will lose a lot of people. But, as the film goes along, it slowly builds and builds tension. This film doesn't feel like "Oh, hey! Look at me! I'm an oscar-worthy film!" No, the film and the respective performances in the film are so suppressed that it feels like this movie is truly trying to give you something, and that's what I appreciate the most about Manchester by the Sea.

Score: B