REVIEW: Manchester by the SeaBy Quinn OxleyDecember 10, 2016I wish I could open this review with the epic, chilling choral piece that opens the film. Just image you’re hearing some altos and tenors harmonize in G-minor.

Avoidant-introvert extraordinaire Lee Chandler is a Bostonian handyman who spends his days fixing toilets and ceiling fans – until his brother, Joe, passes away from a chronic illness. Joe’s teenage son, Patrick, is suddenly without a guardian, and this responsibility falls on Lee, who is recovering from a loss of his own.

It sounds kind of like the summary of a Hallmark movie. Or like one of those Good Will Hunting-types where a haunted young boy finds an unlikely father figure who shows him how to love again. That’s definitely not how I’d describe this film.

Casey Affleck’s Lee comes off as walking a thin line between brilliantly stoic and entirely apathetic; his performance is up to interpretation. Lucas Hedges portrays a surprisingly complex Patrick, and Michelle Williams, while an emotionally effective Randi, has less screen time than the actual sea does. These performances, amongst lesser characters with powerful parts (such as Kyle Chandler’s Joe), drive the film.

In addition to the performances, the film’s realism make it notable. It’s rare that a film achieves the level of realism reached here. Everything about the film grounds it in reality, be it the shot perspective, the line execution and conversation dynamics, or the slow, even pacing. People talk over each other. They forget where their cars are parked. There are unfunny awkward silences and there is ugly-crying. This our world, and it’s the world of Manchester by the Sea.

Its realism is the film’s greatest asset; they’re real people in the real world, so we care about them. When disaster strikes, it strikes us, too. We want to see them overcome their pain – or, at least, become stronger by it. And we do.

Is it good, though?

It depends on what you go in wanting. The plot isn’t melodramatic or flashy in any way; it doesn’t have the standard narrative structure of a modern movie. This film won’t satisfy everyone. Don’t expect to be dazzled or wooed. Don’t even expect to learn something profound. Just be prepared to watch real people recoil from real tragedy, try to make sense of what’s left of their lives, and grow a little in the process. If that sounds like a good two hours to you, by all means, enjoy Manchester by the Sea.

Rating: 7/10

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