There is very little wrong with Manchester by the Sea. It’s about the right length. Every scene rings true. Each performance has some magic in it. And while this may, on the surface, look like a heavy-handed Award Season’s movie there is plenty of life in the film. Manchester by the Sea is easily one of the best films of the year.
Most discussion will focus on Casey Affleck and the attention is deserved. The Younger Affleck gives his best performance to date. His Lee Chandler is a complex and layered creation that must sift through some horrible challenges. There is a quite calm to the performance. But underneath the calm there is a smoldering pain that surfaces in starts and fits. It is a very well balanced performance that he never allows to be “showy”. Excellent work.
Then you have Michelle Williams. Always a gifted performer, Williams makes an undeniable mark on the film with very little screen time. Eight minutes to be precise. There is one scene- “The Scene”- that will win her the Oscar this year. It is a heartbreaking and beautiful moment. Something to behold.
Under the guidance of director Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea hits every note with ease. This is a rare movie of incredible dramatic depth that also has an almost miraculously light tone. A very human experience. Don’t let the film’s marketing fool you. There are some very heavy elements to the film but it not a torture. There is hope in the film.
