Director: Kenneth Lonergan
By Alex Watson
Very few pictures have channelled grief better than Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester By The Sea. Casey Affleck is outstanding as a man afflicted by his past and now forced to play guardian. A highly charged emotional feel is what makes this outing so memorable. Lonergan after impressing with his 2000 piece 'You Can Count On Me' once more is able to show how deep family roots go. Coping with your grief can be a crippling experience, but all throughout we hope for our hero to find his way back.
Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is a janitor in Boston who is unable to move on from a tragedy that has scarred him for life. One day he learns that his brother Joe (Kyle Chandler) has finally died from congestive heart failure. At his will reading, Lee learns he has been made guardian to his 16-year-old nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges). Forced to temporarily stay in his old hometown, he must contend with the painful memory of his past, particularly when he comes into contact with ex-wife Randi (Michelle Williams).
Lonergan's excellently slips and out of the present day and the glimpses we get of Lee's previously life are profoundly affecting. Lee is a man of very few words and struggles to personable with the tenants he serves. While he is a very capable worker, his lack of empathy and constant silence have lead to complaints. He also possesses an extremely short fuse and seems to slug anyone for the slightest of reasons. When a businessman glances at him in a bar, hell soon breaks loose. The happier times of old are a faint memory and Lee is shown to have been a happy man back in his old days. Scenes of him playing with Patrick on Joe's fishing boat radiate joy. When his brother was diagnosed with heart failure, this more than likely lead to Joe's ex-wife Elise (Gretchen Mol) becoming an alcoholic and abandoning them. Though a loving and playful family man, the heartbreaking tragedy that meets him fully explains his descent into solitude. One unfortunate error leads to something no parent should ever have to deal with. The scars of this event hang on Lee's face throughout and Lonergan does a wonderful job of showing his discomfort.
Arriving back in Manchester, Lee feels out of place among his family immediately. The bitterly cold sea breeze and snow covered scenery echoes painful memories of his past. Unprepared for the shock of assuming guardianship of Patrick, Lee is barely keeping afloat. His nephew is a popular teen who is a hockey star, in a rock band and trying to sleep with two different girlfriends. The conversations between the two are the real power of Lonergan's film. Slightly aloof and unable to force a connection at first, the dialogue sounds genuine and has a fantastic strain to it. Patrick willingly uses his uncle as a Taxi service while keeping a brave face on this tragedy. Playing the role of surrogate Dad causes Lee to feel out of his comfort zone. Frequently he spurns the nice offers made to him by others and delves back into his reclusive side. Lucas is dedicated to keeping his father's boat going, Lee doesn't appear to agree and think they should just rent it out.
While the pair might not be fast friends, they are still the only people who can heal each other. One touching scene comes when Patrick finally begins to experience grief and Lee refuses to let him be alone. While his uncle might not always be the most clued-in person to his needs, he knows when to recognise pain. Lonergan's movie isn't about happy reunions or families solving their differences, it's about people dealing with suffering the best they can. Lee might never shake the problems of his past, but he still shows a genuine desire to know Patrick. Running into Randi is like being hit by a freight train. While she insists that she still loves him and regrets the way their marriage ended, Lee cannot bear to be reminded of the life he left behind. This brief encounter has such power that it may shatter our hearts into pieces. All the way through Manchester By The Sea there is tension whenever Lee gets worked up. More likely to use his fists than use logic, some ugly scenarios rear their head. Lonergan's movie is about how families connect with each other, how blood is thicker than water and how human's deal with emotion.
Casey Affleck gives the performance of a lifetime as Lee, a man being forced back into an old world before he is ready. A stark and emotional turn, Affleck is able to make the most of his character's imperfection. Lee is a quiet and introverted man who doesn't thrive on social interaction. Forced to become a father figure again is one that takes all his might and every minute wears on him. This is his finest work since 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford'. Affleck gives the strongest performance of this year and is rightfully odds on favourite for Oscar glory. Lucas Hedges makes for great support as Patrick. While a ball of teenage energy, his amazing ease at accepting his father's death shows his character strength. While Lee might frustrate him, Patrick also recognises that he needs an authority figure right now. Michelle Williams could also be in contention with a whirlwind supporting turn. From the moment she enters, her presence is earth shattering and Lee's ghosts are brought to the surface. A powerful turn, Williams makes full use of her limited time on screen.
Manchester By The Sea is a powerful masterpiece by Kenneth Lonergan. Families might stray, but our hearts will always stay connected.
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