Review of Manchester by the Sea (2016) by Ben T — 21 Feb 2017

Manchester by the Sea is director Kenneth Lonergan's third feature film. This is a deep and moving film about grief and loss and I loved it. Manchester by the Sea is a very powerful and somber film that is not for everyone however there is so much good here to talk about.

The biggest part of the movie is really the acting as it is what leads this movie. Casey Affleck absolutely steals the movie and acts his heart out. He's always been a very good actor but here he truly propels himself to a fantastic actor.

His performance here is extremely subtle yet it's absolutely heartbreaking. Affleck gets to stretch his acting ability and his character is extremely interesting and balances between likeable and unlikeable.

Affleck absolutely deserves every award he gets here as he truly is fantastic. Michelle Williams also stars and while she is only here for about 10 or so minutes she's amazing. There is a scene between her and Casey Affleck towards the end of the film that is really heartbreaking due to the two fantastic performances.

New comer Lucas Hedges gets his real breakout role here and he's really excellent. His character is the kind which either audiences will hate or love and Hedges does give a really excellent performance.

Kyle Chandler is also here and he's excellent although again he has little screen time. Kenneth Lonergan does a really good job directing the movie. This is a very sad and depressing film however there are moments of comedy so it isn't total doom and gloom.

This is also a very well written film as there are a few surprising moments. There is one twist that comes about half way through that is very shocking and completely makes you see a character in a very different way.

This is a very understated movie and surprisingly isn't very Hollywood or flashy. While very well made with very good cinematography and editing the film isn't very showy which I think really works in the movies favour.

The ending of the movie is very powerful and while it isn't a big twist or a big reveal it's still very profound and important. This is one of those movies where the messages and meanings are so strong you will keep thinking about them once you have finished.

There are some problems however, for one I wasn't the biggest fan of the music as it does feel very jarring and out of place. Also this is a very subtle film. There are some flashbacks that happen however we aren't told they are flashbacks which wasn't the biggest problem for me but it will be for some.

However Manchester by the Sea is a powerful, gripping and emotionally destructive movie. I never really feel the need to watch this movie again due to its depressing story however this is a truly excellent film, that everyone should see at least once.

A.