Manchester By The Sea (2016) Dir: Kenneth Lonergan
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This 2016 Amazon Prime original has been in my peripheral for some time, and I finally got around to giving it a watch. I knew it had an Oscar winning performance from it's leading actor, but that was about all I was aware of.
Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, this independent drama takes its time to unfold, in a very satisfying way mind you, over the course of 2 and a quarter hours and tell a truly heartbreaking and emotional story for the ages in the process. The narrative is crushingly tragic and hauntingly beautiful.
It's troubled protagonist drives the plot forward in an understated but very effective manner. The simple presentation allows for the actors to make each scene their own, with the focus being on their body language and their delivery of dialogue.
Casey Affleck provides an Oscar winning performance in his role as the film's protagonist. He says so much with his body language and subtle facial expressions. The emotion he evokes is astounding, and is up there among the most impactful performances I've seen in a long time.
The best performance from the supporting cast comes from Michelle Williams, although she has a relatively small role compared to others. There is one scene in particular, in which she is absolutely incredible. Kyle Chandler is another who has a brilliant performance in his supporting role. He has some wonderfully emotive scenes.
The other two standout performers from the supporting cast are Lucas Hedges and C.J. Wilson, who both provide meaningful and consistent performances. Both work especially well with Affleck throughout the film.
I also want to give mentions to some other notable names from the cast; Gretchen Mol, Kara Haywood, Anna Baryshnikov, Matthew Broderick and Stephen McKinley Henderson.
Overall, this is one of the most brutally heartwrenching films I've seen in a long time, but it's done so beautifully that I don't mind the sadness. The film is just so brilliantly formed.
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