Short Take: A quiet janitor returns to his hometown when he is awarded guardianship of his teenage nephew. It’s a family drama like none you’ve ever seen before.

REEL TAKE: Manchester By The Sea has been a hotly anticipated film by many a film critic, (myself included) since its warm reception at The Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Such expectations can work against a film, but not in this case.
Manchester By The Sea is one of the best films of the year. Writer director Kenneth Lonergan will no doubt be a nominee this award season. With this quietly devastating little film he has created a new kind of masterpiece, an unflinching and relentless authentic family drama for the 21st century.
Manchester tells the story of Lee Chandler, a sullen, solitary Boston-area maintenance man who returns to his hometown when his brother (played by Kyle Chandler) dies. (It’s worth noting the picturesque titular moniker is an actual town on the North Shore in Massachusetts). When Lee learns he has been awarded guardianship of his teenage nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges), he reluctantly acquiesces, awakening emotional scars from the life he once led there.
The story unfurls through an effective integration of flashbacks and current day. It soon becomes clear this family has suffered incredible tragedy. Interestingly, Lonergan spends just enough time in those places to create impact, but he does not dwell. The bulk of the story is told in the mundane bits of everyday life. I think this may perhaps be what makes the film seem so utterly real and devoid of falseness.
This is best exemplified in the conversations between Lee and Patrick, many of which are so awkwardly honest it’s as if the scenes were sketched but unscripted, allowing the characters to work through the process organically. Lee loves his nephew, but the thing that has left him hollow also inhibits their ability to connect. Patrick is a mouthy and confident teen but it’s clear he wants the closeness he once shared with his uncle.
As I let this film settle over me for a couple of days I also realized the glue in the whole story is Lee’s dead brother Joe. He’s the glue between Joe and Patrick. He’s the glue between Lee and the town, and ultimately he’s the glue between Lee and Lee’s past. Even though he has relatively little screen time, Joe is ever present. This is a credit to Lonergan’s story and to Kyle Chandler. When it comes down to it Joe is the heart of film.
Casey Affleck’s characteristic reserve works beautifully here. He brings a quiet depth to Lee. He makes no apologies or excuses for Lee’s faults or failings. There is heart-wrenching pain in his portrayal of Lee, but no self pity. The rest of the cast knocks it out of the park as well, including Michelle Williams as Lee’s ex-wife. Also making every frame ring true is the cinematography by Jody Lee. I expect we’ll see nominations across the board.
Manchester is not a film to be satisfied with a contrived happy ending, but that doesn’t mean we’re left without resolution. By all descriptions here it sounds like a total downer, but it’s not. Profound melancholy is diffused by surprising pops of humor. It’s a deeply affecting character study made even more poignant by great empathy and a distinct lack of self importance. It’s straight forward. It’s brutally honest. Manchester By The Sea is one of the must-see movies of 2016.

Rated R for language throughout and some sexual content. Review
**** 1/2

Reviewed by Michelle Keenan