Manchester by the Sea 2016
Going in, all I knew was that Manchester by the Sea was getting rave reviews, was very sad, and starred Casey Affleck as a guy who is tasked with being the guardian of his 16 year old nephew when Casey’s brother dies. So, it’s a character study, slow-moving, as these two deal with their loss and a lot of other issues that you find out about along the way. The sadness occurs on a lot of different levels, but I think overall the movie is generally positive and not as heavy as the subject matter. They aren’t trying to wring extra emotion out of the movie, just letting it all happen. Some of the acting performances are very good. Casey Affleck kind of plays the same sort of offbeat guy, who probably is a lot like Casey Affleck. But there are some really strong performances by some women in the movie, not least of all Gretchen Mol’s small part as the nephew’s estranged mother.
Like a lot of movies of this type, it will be way too slow for some people, but I will give it credit for being a realistic portrayal of people dealing with what life throws at them. I am not sure it deserves the incredible raves it has gotten, but it is very solid and well done if you are in the right mood. Written and directed by Kenneth Longeran, it is very similar to how I remember his You Can Count on Me in 2000.
Written: 24 Dec 2016
Owned on: Blu-ray, DVD, Digital