2016 NYFF // A FILM REVIEW OF MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Tragedy has struck a small, working class Boston neighborhood. Joe Chandler (Kyle Chandler) has passed due to heart failure and his brother Lee (Casey Affleck) has been called back to town upon hearing about the death of his dearly departed brother. Lee is a bag of emotions: his quiet rage is simmering on his face at all times, and he suddenly gets angry for the smallest possible reason. It's a performance that Affleck nails, simmering and explosive, often at the same time. When he attends the reading of his brother's will, he finds out that his brother has left him custody of his son Patrick (Lucas Hedges). And just like that, Lee's life, which was already a spinning mess, has now been shaken up all over again.
Writer/Director Kenneth Lonergan is a master at telling the slow moving, fracture human story, as he did in You Can Count on Me, Margaret and on stage in Lobby Hero and This is Our Youth. He continues that stretch here, delicately telling the tale of a family trying to move on from grief and loss, and at the center of it is Affleck's character whose unbelievable pain (which is revealed in the middle of the film) is heartbreaking and catapults the already tender story. Casey Affleck gives the best performances of his career so far, alternating between the highs and lows of grief masterfully. Lucas Hedges also gives a fine, understated performance as a son who has no idea who wants him around. Kyle Candler, in flashbacks, truly showcases a warm and loving memory for the film to stand on, and as Lee's ex-wife Randi Michelle Williams turns in a broken, layered performance that, along with Affleck, is sure to destroy you. A late in the film scene between Williams and Affleck is simply devastating, and tells you everything about their entire relationship. Although MANCHESTER BY THE SEA isn't an easy film to digest, it's a powerful one, and a film that will stay with you long after the lights come up.