Review of Manchester by the Sea (2016) by Sensorglitch — 09 Jan 2017

Manchester by Z's seems like an appropriate name for this film. I understand how well this was filmed. The acting was brilliant, as a character Lee Chandler neither neither hatable nor likable. He's damaged and broken and the film does a great job of contrasting the changes which have come about in his life. The dialogue is interesting as well, the characters have interesting lines and they move the film along interestingly.

However, the movie is one in which very bad things happen to people and are accentuated by smaller bad things happening to them. Intellectually I understand this is a great movie. The book is about a group of aimless characters who drift through life, drift through the movie and then drift out. They have no purpose just like this movie. I know you are probably reading this and wondering "Why is he giving this an eight if he doesn't have anything good to say about it?" Well objectively speaking I believe there are many elements which go into making a film really good : acting, directing, sound, plot. From a technical and objective perspective this movie is excellent. It is an extremely well made, well acted and technically well done film. However, I never really felt invested in the movie. I didn't want the movie to end up being some hackneyed film where the character finds redemption, find a new love in his old city, and moves forward in some way. But at the same time I wish there was more to it.