Manchester by the Sea

To my surprise this year, the Oscars have yet to be announced but I've already seen two very strong potential contenders. I've still yet to see many previous winners and nominees from recent years to the point it's almost embarrassing! The first was Arrival that exceeded my expectations and earned 9 BAFTA nominations, and now it's time to discuss Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea.

Not to be confused with Manchester here in the UK, that's a fair drive from the sea, but the one in snowy Massachusetts. The story focuses on Casey Affleck's handyman, or janitor if you're feeling American, whose brother passes away and he's left responsible for his nephew while balancing his own life that's in a town many miles away. That can sound simple but I think this is a film which benefits from knowing a little as possible when going in. Kenneth Lonergan doesn't insult the audience's intelligence and allows for the story to unfold naturally without monologues and exposition. By the end, there's a sense of knowing the characters without one broad scene telling you everything you need to know and it's amazing to see how far Lonergan went to achieve this.

In the wrong hands, family dramas that revolve around tragedy can be bleak and tough to sit through. Even though I saw this in a rather packed cinema, I think that image may still put some off but Lonergan proves he's not averse to comedy and there are many great touches that keep the characters human. But it would be nothing without a great cast, and everyone is on their A game. Casey Affleck gives a performance critics have compared to Marlon Brando's in On the Waterfront and it's not hard to see why as a man haunted by a very bad event now left to look after someone. Michelle Williams has a smaller role than I expected but she's great in every scene. But the real surprise for me is Lucas Hedges as the nephew who is a star in the making.

As with Arrival, Manchester by the Sea trumped all expectations and is a great film that deserves the recognition it's receiving at the awards. Regardless of whether it wins or not, I'd still strongly recommend this to anyone interested. In a world of sequels and franchises, films like this prove that we can still make them like they used to.