Three sentence movie reviews: Manchester by the Sea

 In All (-ish), Three Sentence Movie Reviews

There a few not-perfect things* but overall, this movie wormed its way into me and hasn’t left. As the flashbacks and present day alternate, understanding unfolds.  The story is tragic, everyone agrees, but can a person come back after tragedy?**

Cost: $6.00
Where watched: Hollywood Theater with S. North

*At one or two points the music swells too much and pushes things into melodrama; there are things that don’t make sense plot-wise; there is a weird driving scene that begins with snow-on-the-ground-like-February then suddenly we’re in rain-falling-like-April then snow-in-the-countryside-like-February.
**Also, huge props to Lucas Hedges.  At this point we all know Affleck, Williams and Chandler will knock things out of the park.  Hedges is the linchpin in this ensemble and this movie would have failed without his nuanced performance.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/manchester_by_the_sea.html
Jeez-o-Pete do I hate this poster.  Looking at it, it seems like it’s about Michelle Williams and Casey Affleck, but don’t go to this film looking for them to be sharing a lot of screen time.

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  • Jan W.
    Reply

    I never did get around to seeing this in the theater like I wanted, so it’s still on the list. I would agree that the poster is misleading, though. Since I know little about the film, it does make me think that their relationship is a prominent part of it (not that I feel particularly sad that it isn’t).

    • stenaros
      Reply

      And your reasonable guess from the poster would be incorrect!

      I really liked this movie a lot. And I would say it’s worth watching just to see Lucas Hedges as the kind of teenager I would have hated in high school, but found delightfully charming and nuanced as an adult.

  • Sara K.
    Reply

    I just can’t with this white people sad sack stuff. Plus Casey Affleck is so ewwwwww now I don’t think I can watch him again. I’m a nope on this film.

    • stenaros
      Reply

      Can you with non-white sad sack stuff? I feel like you in general can’t do sad-sack stuff.

      I agree about Mr. Affleck. I wish he would do some speaking up/out or raising money for, or something. But I suspect he will keep on his usual path.

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