Review of Manchester by the Sea (2016) by Jon P — 29 Mar 2017
Manchester by the Sea is a breezy-yet-chilly character study hellbent on bleeding dry the bizarre relationship aesthetic between its two central players.
A detached Casey Affleck is brilliantly miserable as the unlikely guardian to brooding teen Lucas Hedges, but the on-off bond between the two is never quite as interesting nor as profound as director Kenneth Lonergan seems to think it is.
The exchanges between the two are characterised by moody misunderstandings and gruelling awkwardness, as the film bounces back and forth between depression and general douchebaggery.
At its best, Lonergan's picture tries to show us a new level of the classic love-hate relationship - and occasionally succeeds. At its worst, it consistently avoids interesting secondary characters in favour of meandering moodiness, which slowly stagnates and quickly starts to stink.
This review of Manchester by the Sea (2016) was written by Jon P on 29 Mar 2017.
Manchester by the Sea has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
