With only his third feature in 16 years, writer-director Kenneth Lonergan (You Can Count on Me, Margaret) takes us through a familiar milieu in Manchester by the Sea, but does so in wholly unfamiliar ways. Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is the resident handyman for a small apartment complex in a Boston suburb. There are hints at another life. When he receives the news that his older brother has died and that, to his unpleasant surprise, he’s been appointed legal guardian of Joe’s teenage son, Patrick (Lucas Hedges), Lee returns to his nearby seaside hometown, a place of complex memories and an enforced relationship neither party welcomes. Reminiscent of the character-driven American cinema of the 1970s (Ashby, Ritchie, Rafelson), Manchester by the Sea offers an extraordinary and harrowing portrait of lost souls.
Does Casey Affleck face up to his responsibilities or simply fall flat on his face? Listen to our review to find out, starts at 3.55 min…