Review of Manchester by the Sea (2016) by Gregory G — 26 Feb 2017

As a maintenance worker with a troubled past, Casey Affleck is soft-spoken, withdrawn, and sensitive; he's capable of erupting into reckless anger like Montgomery Clift in "From Here to Eternity.

" Set in a wintry, suburban Massachusetts, Affleck is unwillingly confronted with being appointed legal guardian of his nephew (Lucas Hedges) after his brother (Kyle Chandler) dies suddenly. While this story unfolds, writer-director Kenneth Lonergan judiciously incorporates flashbacks that reveal a past family tragedy.

Lonergan isn't particularly imaginative visually and the pacing is leisurely, but he directs the actors superlatively and there are moments of unexpected humor so the feelings of grief don't weigh on us too much.

Lonergan also has a great feel for small-town life. Michelle Williams, as Affleck's unstable wife, is vivid in her brief role, particularly in a concluding confessional that expresses a startling vulnerability.

With Gretchen Moll, Tate Donovan, CJ Wilson, and Matthew Broderick. Won Oscars for Best Actor (Casey Affleck) and Original Screenplay (Kenneth Lonergan).