Manchester by the Sea is a somewhat difficult film to write a review for. It's a bit frustrating to try to dive into the typical elements of a film when this movie feels so uniquely real. Every aspect of Manchester by the Sea feels like watching day-to day interactions of people, not just scenes in a movie. There aren't really any dramatic flourishes, and every scene plays out at a pace that may not feel dramatic, but does feel authentic. The key to establishing such a realistic world isn't just in what is said, but also in what isn't. This film very easily could have been over-written, but it balances everything expertly. It manages to deliver a very unique story, and one that is difficult to easily capture. I completely understand why this film, like Moonlight, is a critical and awards darling. While I do see the quality and respect the craft that went into making this film, it didn't blow me away like I expected it to (also kind of like Moonlight).
The film follows Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck), a handyman living in Quincy, Massachusetts. When he receives word that his brother Joe (Kyle Chandler) has died of a heart attack, he returns to his hometown of Manchester-by-the-Sea. There, he discovers that Joe made him his son, Patrick's (Lucas Hedges) guardian. Reluctant to accept the responsibility, Lee tries to form a plan for Patrick to move back to Boston with him, while also dealing with his tragic past in his hometown. If there's any word that describes this film from beginning to end, it's "consistent". The film presents its story very simply, with most scenes playing out without any music or even a lot of variety in how they're staged. The majority of this film is composed of conversations, and any moment that diverges from conversation feels very natural, never hackneyed, and only occasionally unnecessary. It's an extremely quiet film, with very few actual emotional outbursts.
Emotion is the driving force behind this film, and the fantastic performances from everyone elevate it to a higher level than it likely would have been with a different cast. Casey Affleck gives the strongest performance I've ever seen from him, and certainly one of the best of last year. It's a performance fuelled by subtlety; the subtlety of rage, of sadness, and of loss. What every actor in the film manages to do is create a distinct sense of history between all of the characters. Without exposition or pointless explanations, relationships are drawn very clearly, and the characters are all so well-realized that it's compelling enough to simply see how the story plays out. Since the story is so simple, it just builds the audience's relationship with the characters. Since the emotional scenes hit so strongly, that relationship remains throughout the entire run-time.
But just because everything works doesn't mean it blew me away. I enjoyed watching this movie, and I'm glad I did watch it, but it didn't resonate with me in any significant way. It didn't quite fall flat, but it just goes along at the same slow, quiet pace, and never had a moment where it really got me on board. There are certainly a lot of moments that tug at the ol' heartstrings, but I guess my heartstrings are just too withered and cynical. The film ended on a note that I felt was much more of a whimper than a bang, and even if the film doesn't intend to have an enormous, powerful climax, I wanted something with a bit more of a punch. I wanted the whole film to have more punch, but because it all played out at the same drawn-out pace, I just kind of watched everything play out, and then it was over. I do remember some scenes, but it all kind of bled together, and the overall experience of watching the film was fine, and nothing more.
While the screenplay is certainly solid, the way that the story itself is constructed is a bit hard to follow. It's no Memento, but the disjointed storytelling threw me off in places, and the film didn't grab my attenton enough for me to want to follow it that much. The story playing out in a more linear fashion may have improved fixed that, but I'm sure that was more of a personal issue than anything. Another personal preference makes me fairly uninterested in a bunch of sad white people moping around for two and a half hours. I found myself just waiting for something to happen, and when things did happen, it was largely in flashbacks. The payoff of certain sub-plots didn't really feel like payoff, and while I was fairly invested in the story and the characters, no character stuck out to me as very memorable or even that likeable. The editing of the film is the only thing I would point to definitively as a problem. The biggest flaw is some embarrassing sound effect choices, but the film jumps around from flashbacks to the real story too suddenly and jarringly throughout.
Overall, Manchester by the Sea just didn't really click with me. I understand why the Academy loves it so much, but I don't see it as much more than a very simple, understated drama. While movies like this can definitely be something special, this film just didn't really work for me. There isn't a single weak link among the cast, and the writing perfectly encapsulates conversation and real-life interactions. There's enough awkwardness, quietness, and emotion to hold your interest until the end, but how much investment you can put into the story will dictate how much you enjoy it. The film will win a bunch of awards and people will call it an underrated gem in a few years, but I've already forgotten most of it. I tried to engage with the story, but I just couldn't. This is the kind of film that I expected to make me cry, but I just couldn't fully invest in it.
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