In all honesty I knew very little about Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea as I entered the theatre. I had seen one trailer and that as all the information I had collected. In a lot of ways it was refreshing to step into a cinema and watch a film with zero pre-conceived ideas about the story or characters. With that out of the way, there really isn't much of an intro I can give, so let's see if MBTS deserves all the recognition it has received.
In short, the story follows janitor Lee Chandler and his nephew Patrick as they struggle to get to grips with the death of Lea's brother and Patrick's father Joe. After Lee is unwittingly named Patrick's legal guardian, he has to make the best of his situation whilst potentially moving Patrick from his home in Manchester-by-the-Sea to live with him in Boston, all while coming to terms with other horrors in his own past.
Positives:
Patrick provides Affleck's character with a major inconvenience in his life; an inconvenience that just might save Lee's slowly deteriorating mental wellbeing. It's a beautiful relationship to watch and probably the most genuine pairing of the past year. That can also be attributed to the next huge positive:
Final Verdict
Overall Manchester by the Sea is a completely mesmerising depiction of tragedy and proves that you don't need a big superbudget or eye candy to create something truly beautiful. With a first-rate cast headed by the best male performance of the year in Casey Affleck and an outstanding support from Luke Hedges, beautifully simple direction and a truly wonderful score, this otherwise straightforward story provides an almost unbearably raw power that should brings laughter and tears in equal intensity.
Being someone who lost their father very recently, MBTS struck a chord on every level with me. It's the most realistic portrayal of a grieving family I've ever seen in a movie, told through my favourite script of the past year.
An absolute must-watch for anyone who loves simple, powerful storytelling.
10/10
In short, the story follows janitor Lee Chandler and his nephew Patrick as they struggle to get to grips with the death of Lea's brother and Patrick's father Joe. After Lee is unwittingly named Patrick's legal guardian, he has to make the best of his situation whilst potentially moving Patrick from his home in Manchester-by-the-Sea to live with him in Boston, all while coming to terms with other horrors in his own past.
Positives:
- Casey Affleck:
- Lucas Hedges:
Patrick provides Affleck's character with a major inconvenience in his life; an inconvenience that just might save Lee's slowly deteriorating mental wellbeing. It's a beautiful relationship to watch and probably the most genuine pairing of the past year. That can also be attributed to the next huge positive:
- The Script:
- Kenneth Lonergan's Direction
- The Score:
Final Verdict
Overall Manchester by the Sea is a completely mesmerising depiction of tragedy and proves that you don't need a big superbudget or eye candy to create something truly beautiful. With a first-rate cast headed by the best male performance of the year in Casey Affleck and an outstanding support from Luke Hedges, beautifully simple direction and a truly wonderful score, this otherwise straightforward story provides an almost unbearably raw power that should brings laughter and tears in equal intensity.
Being someone who lost their father very recently, MBTS struck a chord on every level with me. It's the most realistic portrayal of a grieving family I've ever seen in a movie, told through my favourite script of the past year.
An absolute must-watch for anyone who loves simple, powerful storytelling.
10/10