Life is hard. Terrible things happen to good people. Most movies are about overcoming the terrible and turning an awful situation into something better. I don’t know if it’s refreshing or depressing to say that Manchester by the Sea admits that sometimes it just isn’t possible to move on. That’s not to say it’s entirely a sad movie. In a way, it demonstrates there can be a happy ending even if you can’t emerge from tragedy. You learn to live with it.
We first meet Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) as a janitor/handyman at a four-building apartment complex in Boston. He lives in a tiny room, spends his free time in a bar, and has a very short fuse. He’s obviously damaged. When he receives a phone call that his brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler) has died, he returns home to coastal Massachusetts to make arrangements for the funeral and placement of his 16-year old nephew, Patrick (Lucas Hedges).
During his visit and through flashbacks, we learn of the people and events that brought Lee to his current state of mind. They involve his ex-wife, Randi (Michelle Williams) and his ex-sister-in-law, Patrick’s mother, Elise (Gretchen Mol). When Lee learns that Joe’s wishes were for him to become Patrick’s guardian, Lee faces a critical crossroads to his future. Again, there are predictable ways a typical Hollywood movie could go. Manchester by the Sea is not typical.
It is, however, entirely authentic. Well, thankfully I haven’t experienced the same events, but the characters and situations feel realistic. Williams is hardly in the movie, but she’s incredible in her few scenes. It’s Affleck’s movie all the way, and it’s a perfect showcase for his talents. I was surprised to learn that this is only writer/director Kenneth Lonergan’s third film since his 2000 debut, You Can Count On Me. Then again, movies this honest aren’t made very often.
