Manchester By the Sea (2016) directed by Kenneth Lonergan

A study in grief and the different ways people deal with it, or not, Manchester By the Sea is a slow, quiet film, beautifully shot. Casey Affleck owns the part of Lee, a withdrawn Boston handyman who has no life and rejects any kind of social interaction. Outwardly calm and indifferent, it becomes clear he has a deep well of anger that can erupt into violence. The death of his brother draws him back to the small coastal town of Manchester to care for his 16-year-old nephew. Flashbacks show a happy-go-lucky Lee who adores his family, but drinks too much and has asshole tendencies that are mostly kept in check. He is close to his older brother, who has similar characteristics. Then we see the tragedy that has removed all joy from his life. In the present day Lee is forced into the interactions and relationships he shuns and, for his nephew’s sake, he manages to grow a little to accommodate what needs to be done. The nephew is a chip off the old block and badly needs guidance that Lee cannot supply. An encounter with his ex-wife demonstrates that while a shattered vessel may be mended it will always have cracks and will likely never again be fully functional. Landscape and the sea are important aspects, representing the beauty and pleasure Lee cannot allow himself. The score is unsubtle to the point of intrusive, detracting from an otherwise effective film that is sad, beautiful and bitingly real, with very strong performances.