Manchester by the Sea

JP Liz V1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41MV4QotMHY

Looks to be a Oscar contender already, getting some buzz especially Affleck, seems similar to Kenneth Lonergan's other film You Can Count on Me

Chain Smoker

Second I heard about this film it became my most anticipated of 2016.

Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and Kyle Chandler in a film by the guy behind Margaret and You Can Count On Me?! Yes please!
I don't watch trailers or read reviews of films I've already decided I'm going to though so I can't exactly add anything to this thread beyond "hey guys, Margaret doesn't entirely work but it ain't half bad, guys."

johnny_ultimate

Got to see this last week and holy **** it is absolutely incredible.

I was a card-carrying Lonergan enthusiast before this, but he works miracles here. He has such total control over the characters, mood and drama it's just thrilling to watch. I think my subconscious dislike of flashbacks was chipped down over the course of its immense, perfectly judged first hour, and when Lonergan finally plays his hand it's delivered with the utmost grace and clarity and just makes everything that comes before and after absolutely devastating. Don't watch the trailer. Just soak in all 130 magnificent minutes.

It's a 'cleaner' film than Margaret, less inclined to spin off on tangents - which was a strength of Margaret, but the razor-sharp focus is welcome here. There are still plenty of peripheral characters who make maximum impact in their time on screen - Michelle Williams nails it in barely half a dozen scenes - but at its heart this is a story of an unwitting 'father' and his equally unwitting 'son', and the third man whose absence defines every frame of the film. It's damn funny too, yo.

There's a moment where the film segues into its final act,

where a jolly montage plays and the audience will be naturally inclined to believe there's a nice, happy ending coming. But the montage ends with a sharp punctuation point, a reminder that this is a story of uncertainty and one without easy resolutions or neat little triumphs. It is instead an examination of the messiness of life and death, the devastation of grief and guilt.

It's the kind of grand yet intimate drama that one thought was almost extinct on this scale. It's a beautiful piece of work, and deserves as much attention as possible when it's gifted to a wider audience.

pheasant tail

Agree with everything above. It was definitely one of the best films I got to see over in Toronto. Performances where all flawless, really liked the balance of what was a film based on heartbreak and sadness throughout, yet had a real dark, witty sense of humour. Great film

Mr E

By all accounts, tomorrow's Screen Unseen in the Odeon is most likely Manchester By The Sea (if people want to see it before January 13th)

bradolf pittler

Saw this last night at a screen unseen.
Casey Affleck is just phenomenal,So good that i think he's a shoe in for the Oscar.
I felt he just wanted to be punished for the tragedy in his life by getting into bar fights etc.A truly tragic and heartbreaking performance.

Fysh

I finally got to see this last night, and like everyone else I thought it was extremely good. After too many lighter films & blockbusters in the last couple of years have been so guilty of being bloated, padded beasts, it was wonderful to see something like this which makes perfect use of its running time. On top of which, it also delivered deft and confident storytelling (including visual storytelling) coupled with a classical score that worked perfectly without ever feeling manipulative or sentimental.

The performances were great, and though Affleck was excellently nuanced, I think he was slightly outshone by Lucas Hedges. The script surprised me by having a lot more humour in the dialogue (some of it dark, some of it not) than I had expected - a lot of the discussion about the film in the run-up to the Oscars had me expecting something more gruelling overall, along the lines of Room.

Notorious

bradolf pittler wrote: »

Saw this last night at a screen unseen.

I also saw it at that Screen Unseen. It was excellent. I really did not enjoy the previous Screen Unseen, A Monster Calls, but Manchester by the Sea was excellent. The performances were great, especially from Casey Affleck. The story was also brilliant and original. Agreed with johnny_ultimate in that the flashbacks were pulled off with finesse.

LuckyLloyd

Magnificent

Rfrip

Wow my heart is literally aching after that
Excellent. If Ryan gosling gets best actor for pricking around the place over Casey affleck for this it will be a travesty.

Casey was just so good in this. maybe I'm over exaggerating but I felt I was right there with him it's was just so emotional.

homerun_homer

Rfrip wrote: »

Wow my heart is literally aching after that
Excellent. If Ryan gosling gets best actor for pricking around the place over Casey affleck for this it will be a travesty.

Casey was just so good in this. maybe I'm over exaggerating but I felt I was right there with him it's was just so emotional.

Gosling hasn't a hope, he only won the Golden Globe because it was a sub-category.

MfMan

Very good rather than great IMHO. Could have done with a sharper pace in places (Patrick's amours and band-involvement were overdrawn I thought) and while Affleck as the emotionally-dead Lee was very good, it was a bit one-note. Do think it's Oscar-worthy though.

Mokuba

Can't remember the last time a film affected me so profoundly.

Absolutely phenomenal.

Rfrip

Mokuba wrote: »

Can't remember the last time a film affected me so profoundly.

Absolutely phenomenal.

It was just heartbreaking

siblers

MfMan wrote: »

Very good rather than great IMHO. Could have done with a sharper pace in places (Patrick's amours and band-involvement were overdrawn I thought) and while Affleck as the emotionally-dead Lee was very good, it was a bit one-note. Do think it's Oscar-worthy though.

I agree on the band scenes, think they could have been cut down or omitted entirely, as for Casey Affleck being one note..couldn't disagree more, was one of the most heartbreaking yet at times incredibly amusing performances I've seen. I don't see how he could have made it any better

reni10

Really disappointed that this is only showing in Cork and Dublin cinemas!

How can the distributors not want to get this out to a wide audience especially with Affleck being tipped for the Best Actor Oscar!?!

bkrangle

reni10 wrote: »

Really disappointed that this is only showing in Cork and Dublin cinemas!

How can the distributors not want to get this out to a wide audience especially with Affleck being tipped for the Best Actor Oscar!?!

I was at a prime time screening in Dublin last night and it was less that 30% full. Perhaps distributors knew/guessed it wouldn't be pulling in punters

reni10

bkrangle wrote: »

I was at a prime time screening in Dublin last night and it was less that 30% full. Perhaps distributors knew/guessed it wouldn't be pulling in punters

I would like to know what the audience figures for LaLa Land are as I would say they are about the same as Manchester by the sea but that gets distributed to every cinema in the country and IMO it is a poor movie...

homerun_homer

I enjoyed this movie but felt it just didn't know how to end itself properly. After how long and drawn out the film was in showing their relationship, it seemed to just rush through the last few minutes and just end. I wasn't sure what to take from it at all.

johnny_ultimate

homerun_homer wrote: »

I enjoyed this movie but felt it just didn't know how to end itself properly.

I personally found the final act satisfying, but I do reckon a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty comes with the material.

One of my favourite things about the film is how it chooses to go against easy resolutions. Lee's destination in particular is unclear and rocky - he's made progress, but is still deeply affected by what has happened. The film leaves him somewhat adrift, which is the right place for the character albeit as a consequence feels something like an ellipsis when another writer may have delivered a punctuation mark.

jcsoulinger

reni10 wrote: »

Really disappointed that this is only showing in Cork and Dublin cinemas!

How can the distributors not want to get this out to a wide audience especially with Affleck being tipped for the Best Actor Oscar!?!

Both cinemas in Galway city are showing it.

prodsc

opened in Sligo today.

Slydice

Watched it. Really good film. Performances were something else!

The ending and credits kinda just letting you sit there and take it all in with the sound in the background.

JP Liz V1

Lucas Hedges as Patrick is equally impressive as Affleck and Williams, shame he is being overlooked at the awards

this must have gone totally over my head. I was really looking forward to this and up until the "fire" scene, it was looking good.

Unfortunately it went down hill after that. too many long pauses followed by "nah" from afflect and then he got acted off the screen by Williams when they finally get to talking. I like casey afflect but just didn't think this was worth the hype at all.

I did love the location, the music, the weather and that kinda Bostonian good will hunting feel.

bren2001

rusty cole wrote: »

this must have gone totally over my head. I was really looking forward to this and up until the "fire" scene, it was looking good.

Unfortunately it went down hill after that. too many long pauses followed by "nah" from afflect and then he got acted off the screen by Williams when they finally get to talking. I like casey afflect but just didn't think this was worth the hype at all.

I did love the location, the music, the weather and that kinda Bostonian good will hunting feel.

He literally couldn't have acted that scene any better.

Looper007

Fantastic film with a tour de force performance from Casey Affleck (can't see anyone taking Best Actor from him at the Oscars). That scene when he meets up with Michelle Williams is a thing of beauty also

His whole body language and mannerisms during the flashback when his house burns down and Children die is heart breaking

.

I also love that in most other films would have had Casey's Lee

get over the past and he would have gone for lunch with his ex wife and settled happily in Manchester, but I loved the line to his nephew "I can't beat it" and you can tell by his meeting with Williams that he can't.

.

Luke Hedges is fantastic as well as his nephew. Michelle Williams in the short time she's on screen is great as well. But this is Affleck's film all the way, amazing to think Matt Damon had to turn this down. Lonergan's script was another star, loved his little cameo too. Definitely believe the hype with this one.

bren2001

bren2001 wrote: »

He literally couldn't have acted that scene any better.

yeah I agree, I wasn't saying he was bad, I just meant she was amazing which kinda took away from him and as that was his best scene, it didn't work for me.
I'm not really a cinema critic I just like films that's why I said maybe it went above me. I just felt after the fire scene, I was left waiting for something which never really materialised until he says, oh yeah, I got the other couple to adopt you ok, job sorted, film wrapped. his character didn't seem to grow or get a thing from the journey, even when that seen with Williams comes, he walks away and that's it. you'd imagine he'll be found hanging in two months at that rate.

I don't know, it was ok for me at best but then my favourite movie is about a big shark so go figure.

MfMan

Looper007 wrote: »

Fantastic film with a tour de force performance from Casey Affleck (can't see anyone taking Best Actor from him at the Oscars). That scene when he meets up with Michelle Williams is a thing of beauty also

His whole body language and mannerisms during the flashback when his house burns down and Children die is heart breaking

.

I also love that in most other films would have had Casey's Lee

get over the past and he would have gone for lunch with his ex wife and settled happily in Manchester, but I loved the line to his nephew "I can't beat it" and you can tell by his meeting with Williams that he can't.

.

Luke Hedges is fantastic as well as his nephew. Michelle Williams in the short time she's on screen is great as well. But this is Affleck's film all the way, amazing to think Matt Damon had to turn this down. Lonergan's script was another star, loved his little cameo too. Definitely believe the hype with this one.

Oh thank heavens!

Looper007

MfMan wrote: »

Oh thank heavens!

Not a Damon fan , I think given the right material he's a fine actor, it was also going to be his directing debut as well. But I agree this film wouldn't have worked nowhere near as well without Affleck in it.

MfMan

Looper007 wrote: »

Not a Damon fan , I think given the right material he's a fine actor, it was also going to be his directing debut as well. But I agree this film wouldn't have worked nowhere near as well without Affleck in it.

No, not really, he's just..... Matt Damon.