Manchester by the Sea is a new drama that has been getting a lot of Oscar buzz for lead actor Casey Affleck and he deserves it. This is small, slow moving actor’s movie about a closed-down man who is informed his brother has died and he (Affleck) been picked to take care of his teenage son. Affleck’s character is wounded, distant, and he doesn’t give an “f” about anything or anyone. At first, he just seems like a difficult jerk but the movie has an, at first, disorienting flashback structure that eventually lets us know why.
Casey Affleck is excellent playing a character who does not bend on his opinions and decisions… until he does. And when he does, he does it quietly without telling anyone (much less the audience) that he has decided to help or care. The whole cast is good – including Kyle Chandler and Michelle Williams in small rolls.
This isn’t a movie for everyone – it’s a very slow-paced movie that, at first, bugged me… but the movie commits to its pace and is so well acted and written, that I started to get more and more into the movie and soon I was hoping it wouldn’t end. I wanted to see where it was going and if the messed-up family would heal their wounds.
I like this movie quite a bit. Definitely an indie flick that may be an acquired taste. There’s no excessive melodrama and certainly nothing explodes and no one gets shot. It’s a slice of life of an interesting, closed off character that requires the actors to deliver a master-class in minimalist acting and the viewer to read what little is being shown.
Score: 87