A mundane life as a repair man in Quincy is what Lee Chandler has exiled himself to after his seemingly beautiful life with friends and family in Manchester was rocked by an unfortunate accident. But the untimely news of the demise of his brother Joe drags him back to Manchester where he has to take care of his nephew while fighting the ghosts of his past.
Language:
English
Running Time:
137 min
Rating:
R (MPAA)
Release date:
18 November 2016
Directed by:
Kenneth Lonergan
Produced by:
Chris Moore
Kevin J Walsh
Kimberly Steward
Lauren Beck
Matt Damon
Written by:
Kenneth Lonergan
Starring:
Casey Affleck
Kyle Chandler
Lucas Hedges
Michelle Williams
Gretchen Mol
Chloe Dixon
Music by:
Lesley Barber
Shot by:
Jody Lee Lipes
Editing by:
Jennifer Lame
Distributed by:
Amazon Studios
GEM Entertainment
Roadside Attractions
Studio Canal
Universal Pictures International

What’s Hot

  • Lee Chandler’s character has many diverse facets including the likes of a father with a cozy family, a frustrated divorcee rotting in guilt, and a helpless guardian of a teenager. Casey Affleck nails the character with his credentials and lends that touch of perfection. He absolutely owns the scenes that depict his mood swings.
  • Michelle Williams plays a gem in the few scenes featuring her as Casey’s ex-wife. Their conversation towards the end of the movie is one to watch out for as it can have a profound impact to move even the strongest of hearts!
  • The sense of dread and sorrow that fills the air at various parts of the movie is lightened up in a timely fashion courtesy of well-placed flashes from a dream like past lives of the characters. The screenplay is also finely structured to correlate similar and contrasting situations from the past, to impart an immersive viewing experience.
  • Kenneth Lonergan turns a seemingly harmless tale of a death in a strained family into a potpourri of varying complex emotional situations with deep characterizations and perfect casting for each role. He also manages to keep us guessing on what is about to come next by providing a not so common treatment to the subject.
  • With little or no Music for a majority of the portions until the emotional quotient is upped in the narrative, the full scale onset towards the end plays an effective catalyst to permeate the feelings into the atmosphere.

What’s Not

  • Maybe due to the unhurried pace at which the movie proceeds as it builds up the core events effectively, the ending seems to be a little hurried up with events unfolding within a relatively cramped space of time, partly eroding the impact it could have had.

Badges

Acting
Screenplay
Direction

Verdict

Verdict Stamp

“Manchester by the Sea” is a flawlessly executed narrative of complex human emotions in the wake of inevitable situations that life throws at us. Unveiled at an apt and unhurried pace to maximize the impact, it is indeed a treasure to be cherished!