Revisited - Manchester by the Sea (2016)

So this movie is fantastic. Leave this review right now and go out and find a place to watch this film. Still here? Still need convincing? Well, thats understandable but trust me once this review is over, your going to be doing the same thing anyways. Not only has this film done a wonderful job in its acting, screenplay, and direction department but it won a ton a awards for all of those and most notably a couple of Oscars. I didn't think much of the film when I saw the trailer as it seemed like one of those dark films that could bore you if done badly but my god, does it do the complete opposite and hook you in. I fell in love with all the performances but especially Casey Affleck who steals the show every time he's on screen which is great for him.

Funny enough, the last Revisited was a movie he was also in and now reviewing this one, you could see how much he has grown into be a stellar actor of the highest caliber along with his brother and fellow actors. The story also does a great job in pulling you in especially the police station scene which was one of my favorite shots in any movie I ever seen for sure. From then on I was of course hooked to the story and the its characters until finally the last scene faded to black and the credits rolled. It told a story I didn't know I would be invested but I was invested all the same for the perfect storm this movie delivered in its screenplay, acting and directing.

Manchester by the Sea is a 2016 American drama film that was written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, and stars Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, and Lucas Hedges. The plot follows a man who, after his brother dies, is entrusted with the care of his teenage nephew. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2016, and was picked up by Amazon Studios for distribution. Manchester by the Sea was filmed during March and April 2015 in the eponymous Massachusetts town and other towns in the state, such as Beverly, Essex, Gloucester, Swampscott, Lynn, Middleton, Tewksbury, and Salem. It began a limited release on November 18, 2016, before a wide release on December 16, 2016. It grossed $79 million worldwide against a budget of $9 million.

The film received critical praise and was widely counted among the best films of the year; the National Board of Review listed it as the top film of 2016. Critics complimented the performances of Affleck, Williams, and Hedges, as well as Lonergan's screenplay and direction. At the 89th Academy Awards, Manchester by the Sea won awards for Best Actor for Affleck and Best Original Screenplay, and additional nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Hedges), and Best Supporting Actress (Williams). Affleck also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama; the film was also nominated in four other categories. The British Academy Film Awards nominated the picture for six awards, of which it won Best Actor in a Leading Role for Affleck and Best Original Screenplay.

Lee Chandler, who works as a janitor and lives alone in a basement apartment in Quincy, Massachusetts, is told his brother Joe, a fisherman, has suffered a cardiac arrest; Joe dies before Lee can get to the hospital. Lee insists on being the one to tell Joe's teenage son Patrick about his father's death. While making funeral arrangements, they learn Joe's body cannot be buried until spring when the ground thaws. Lee makes plans to remain in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, in Patrick's home, until the delayed burial.

Lee meets with Joe's attorney and is shocked to discover Joe named him as Patrick's legal guardian. A flashback reveals that Lee had once lived in Manchester with his then-wife Randi and their three small children; Lee's negligence while intoxicated led to a house fire that killed the children. No criminal charges were filed against him but, after being questioned at the police station, Lee attempted to shoot himself. He and his wife divorced and Lee left the town. In light of these events, Lee is reluctant to commit to the guardianship and is unwilling to move back to Manchester, where the locals treat him as an outcast in the light of his role in the death of his and Randi's children.

Lee begins planning for Patrick to move to Boston with him but Patrick has strong links with the Manchester community and objects to the idea. Lee commits to staying until the end of the school year. Over time, Patrick and Lee re-establish their bond, despite conflicts about Joe's boat, Patrick's girlfriends, and their future living arrangements.

Through flashbacks, Patrick's mother Elise is shown to have had substance abuse problems and abandoned the family. Lee is opposed to Patrick reconnecting with her. Patrick emails Elise about Joe's death and she invites him to have lunch with her. She has committed to Christianity and sobriety with her fiancé Jeffrey but during an awkward meal with them, Patrick finds he is unable to connect with her. He is unsettled further when Jeffrey emails him and insists on being an intermediary in any future communication between Patrick and his mother. Lee's subsequent positive comments about Elise's sobriety lead Patrick to believe his uncle is trying to get rid of him, assertions Lee denies. In response to this strain in their relationship, Lee takes steps to possibly extend his stay in Manchester and seeks to spend more time with Patrick.

Lee runs into his ex-wife Randi and her newborn child Dylan. A sobbing Randi expresses remorse for her treatment of Lee during their divorce and asks him to have lunch. Lee deflects her apology, feeling that he does not deserve it. When she insists they reconnect and pleads with him not to "just die", he leaves to avoid becoming emotional. Distraught, Lee gets drunk at a bar, picks a fight with strangers, and is knocked out. He awakens in the living room of family friend George and breaks down in tears. At home, Patrick shows his uncle deference after seeing his battered state and pictures of his deceased children.

Lee arranges for George and his wife to adopt Patrick so that he can remain in Manchester while Lee takes a job in Boston. When Patrick asks Lee why he cannot remain in Manchester, Lee says that he "can't beat it." During a walk after Joe's burial service Lee tells Patrick he is searching for a residence in Boston with an extra room so Patrick can visit whenever he wants. In the final scene, Lee and Patrick go fishing on Joe's refurbished boat, which Patrick has inherited.

In conclusion, this film will make you laugh, will make you smile, and will make you cry. You'll want to follow these characters through this mini rollercoaster of a beautifully constructed plot till the very end. This movie delivers and then some in so many ways and deserves the praise it receives and I'm sure your ready to leave this article and find where to watch this movie, well go on and watch it and I'm sure you won't regret it. This has been Revisited, thanks for reading. Ricardo Signing Off