Review of Manchester by the Sea (2016) by Frank C — 15 Feb 2017

Manchester by the Sea is a poignant meditation on loss and its differing consequences on those it touches. Casey Affleck delivers a reserved yet complicated performance, while Lucas Hedges gives a star-making turn in a similarly complex character. I applaud Kenneth Lonergan's directorial choices, cutting between the past and the present to give context for Lee's words and actions.

Ultimately, the raison d'être of the film is the screenplay. I appreciate the quotidian style of the script, opting to showcase the everyday settings in which the characters find themselves coping - dining rooms, bedrooms, cars - with limited visual effect aside from the occasional sweeping shots of the sea. While I found the ending somewhat rushed, it may seem appropriate, Lee and Patty alone together.