Read Mixed User Reviews for Manchester by the Sea

6

EnlilDec 12, 2016

I am not sure what to think about this movie. The acting is generally very good. Michelle Williams sticks out as the real star although Casey Affleck seems to be getting all the hype. Affleck is a great fit for the role. However, he plays theI am not sure what to think about this movie. The acting is generally very good. Michelle Williams sticks out as the real star although Casey Affleck seems to be getting all the hype. Affleck is a great fit for the role. However, he plays the exact same role he plays in all of his movies which makes me wonder about his actual acting capabilities. It's perfect for this movie though. I am concerned that Casey Affleck is like Klaus Kinski or Woody Allen who only can play themselves.
The movie is well shot and has a profound story that's well written. The movie would have been better if it had taken itself a little bit less serious and been sped up a little bit at times, especially in the first half.… Expand

7 of 8 users found this helpful71

All this user's reviews

6

BeeceeDec 5, 2016

This is a movie about a man with a volatile temper who is haunted by his past (we find out why towards the end of the movie). Since the main character and the teenaged nephew who has the main secondary role are not immediately sympatheticThis is a movie about a man with a volatile temper who is haunted by his past (we find out why towards the end of the movie). Since the main character and the teenaged nephew who has the main secondary role are not immediately sympathetic characters, the film needs to keep the filmgoers interested with the plot and the personal growth of the characters. Unfortunately, Casey Affleck never really experiences any personal growth, and ends the film the same as he started. Matthew Broderick is totally wasted in a cameo role. The scenery is beautiful, but the film is way too slow moving.… Expand

6 of 9 users found this helpful63

All this user's reviews

4

GreatMartinDec 2, 2016

"Manchester by the Sea" asks how do you survive an unimaginable tragedy?? People handle it in different ways and Lee (Casey Affleck) becomes a totally cold, uncaring person who cuts himself off from all those he loves, leaves his hometown,"Manchester by the Sea" asks how do you survive an unimaginable tragedy?? People handle it in different ways and Lee (Casey Affleck) becomes a totally cold, uncaring person who cuts himself off from all those he loves, leaves his hometown, gets a job as a janitor in Boston, drinks a lot of beer and has fights in bars.

The first hour of the film deals with Lee before and after the tragedy, how he was a happy man, father, husband, brother and friend before he became the loner he is now. After his brother, Joe, (Kyle Chandler) dies, he comes home to find out that Joe has appointed Lee the guardian of his 16 year old nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges) who in many ways is a typical teenager but is acting out upon the death of his father. At this point the director/screenwriter, Kenneth Lonergan, tells us what the tragedy was and it is almost to painful for the audience to hear and watch. For the next hour and 17 minutes we see how uncle and nephew interact and deal with life, Patrick with humor and sarcasm, Lee without emotions and staying as uninvolved as he can stay. We meet Patrick's mother Elise (Gretchen Mol) who has been out of his life for years, her new husband Jefferey (Matthew Broderick) Lee's ex-business partner and friend George (C. J. Wilson) but most important of all Lee's ex-wife, Randi (Michelle Williams).

While Affleck is getting all the attention in the reviews I was more impressed with 20 year old Lucas Hedges as the 16 year old who can break your heart and a second later having you laugh. Affleck does a strong job especially since most of his scenes have to be done in a monotone, showing no emotion and fighting the pull his nephew on has him as a human being.

Michelle Williams has a very emotional scene, lasting about 5 minutes, with Casey Affleck but as easily as I am moved in a movie's emotionally scenes, this didn't move me.

Gretchen Mol is wasted and Matthew Broderick has a very thankless part. The rest of the supporting players including Patrick's main girlfriend played by Anna Baryshnikov are all above par.

I love heavy, family, movie dramas but the bottom line is that "Manchester by the Sea" is way too long by 15-20 minutes which doesn't make for very much tension and though the scenery of Manchester by the Sea is excellent in all the seasons and there is no fault with the acting I don't recommend it.

Oh, yes, a very distracting soundtrack that more than once takes you out of the story.… Expand

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

All this user's reviews

6

gameplayer85Jan 27, 2017

Good movie but wouldn't say it's oscar worthy. Casey always puts on great performances. Story is slow paced alot of times it seems like thier is nothing going on. Horrific background interwoven into the story and Michelle Williams is great asGood movie but wouldn't say it's oscar worthy. Casey always puts on great performances. Story is slow paced alot of times it seems like thier is nothing going on. Horrific background interwoven into the story and Michelle Williams is great as she always is. The guy that played Casey nephew got a lot of praise but i think he just did a passable job. Overall the movie is watchable but don't expect anything ground breaking or anything that will suck you into the movie.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

6

TheDavoNov 21, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A 6 or 7 out of 10 at most. A bunch of lame writing (Affleck has to rush back to Boston to his janitor's job rather than stay and raise his nephew) coupled with Affleck's emotionally flat performance makes for a ho hum movie experience. Won the audience choice award at the film festival I was at where I had seen several films at just that festival that were much better. Baffled at the ratings. Just NOT that good.… Expand

3 of 11 users found this helpful38

All this user's reviews

6

AxgrinderDec 22, 2016

This is an extremely dark movie. Critics love it because it doesn’t go for the happy ending. Casey Affleck will likely win an Oscar for Best Actor. Affleck plays an average lower-middle working-class guy living in a small coastal fishingThis is an extremely dark movie. Critics love it because it doesn’t go for the happy ending. Casey Affleck will likely win an Oscar for Best Actor. Affleck plays an average lower-middle working-class guy living in a small coastal fishing town. Michelle Williams (who is probably too pretty to be believable for the part) plays his wife, and they have three young kids. Affleck is a happy guy with zero aspirations in life and spends his free time boating, drinking with his buddies and dabbling in recreational drugs. The movie would have you believe that many people live this kind of life, and that most can get away with living a sloppy and ambitionless life without consequences but, in the dice game of life, Affleck takes a stupid gamble and rolls snake eyes. He becomes a haunted and angry individual who moves to Boston and ekes out a living as a janitor. Several years later, his older brother dies and names Affleck the guardian of his high-school age son. This could have been a movie about redemption. (It’s the obvious ending choice, and you will find yourself hoping for it, rooting for it.) Instead, you get a cautionary tale about broken people. Those who like this movie use a lot of adjectives to describe it like: "heartbreaking, genuine and powerful." It is all those things but, it’s also a movie without hope. The ending is sudden and abrupt like a cold slap in the face, a lump of coal in your Christmas stocking, or discovering the Grinch in your living room instead of Santa Claus. If you're looking for holiday cheer, you might want to go see something else.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

All this user's reviews

4

fzaltaDec 11, 2016

I walked into this movie with all the hype in the back of my mind and no idea what the story was. I loved the cinematography - the acting was extraordinary but I found the storyline over the top and kind of overblown melodrama. what broughtI walked into this movie with all the hype in the back of my mind and no idea what the story was. I loved the cinematography - the acting was extraordinary but I found the storyline over the top and kind of overblown melodrama. what brought him to get so drunk? how did he survive the unsurvivable? I felt like they just kept adding reasons to not like Lee (Casey Affleck) while feeling sympathetic to the two ex-wives. I feel like they just wanted to create a Job-like character when in fact he is more of a self-destructive character. What brought him to drink and do drugs? Also - although I love the music overall - the placement of the sound on one speaker over whelmed the dialog and the emotions of the scenes. Anyway - great job by the actors - not so thrilled with the director or the writer's job. Sorry - I left the theater feeling as if I was taken advantaged of.… Expand

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

All this user's reviews

6

lunanulApr 4, 2017

Plenty of good in this movie, but many major flaws, including an overwrought soundtrack of low-register string music (also present in 'You can count on me'), and a forced sense of 'realness' that works in the early stages, but eventuallyPlenty of good in this movie, but many major flaws, including an overwrought soundtrack of low-register string music (also present in 'You can count on me'), and a forced sense of 'realness' that works in the early stages, but eventually turns grating and farcical. If you can endure to the end, great scenes emerge throughout, but heavily dampened by gratuitous gloom.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

5

TalulaGreyApr 23, 2017

This is a very long slow film. Long. Slow. Film. It is also a very sad film. You know there is something going on but you don't actually find out what it is until about half way through the film. Then you're like, oh wow, that's gotta suck soThis is a very long slow film. Long. Slow. Film. It is also a very sad film. You know there is something going on but you don't actually find out what it is until about half way through the film. Then you're like, oh wow, that's gotta suck so hard... This is a film about not being able to overcome grief and guilt and in the end it's gutting because you know that there are people like that in the world.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

5

hallofrecordMay 7, 2017

Casey Affleck makes depression seem like a good time in comparison. The acting is good, but the story rises to the level of a bad dream. I could have a better time driving through the derelict parts of Detroit at night.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

4

HfahmyFeb 24, 2017

Extremely slow, overlengthy, events are dull and reiterated over the scenes. No real storyline that deserves 137 min. I couldn't appreciate the stereotype cold acting. Characters are unsatisfied with their lives. Boring snowy movie that gotExtremely slow, overlengthy, events are dull and reiterated over the scenes. No real storyline that deserves 137 min. I couldn't appreciate the stereotype cold acting. Characters are unsatisfied with their lives. Boring snowy movie that got much more than what it really is.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

4

TastyNov 30, 2018

In the scene of Affleck trying to shoot himself, that was how the cast felt when they first read the script.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

6

ProfAmateurDec 31, 2021

Well this movie is basically about a guy who has to deal with **** - a lot of **** Or lets say it in other words: the live of nearly everyone. So i guess poeple like this movie because they can relate how ****ty live can be. It seems thatWell this movie is basically about a guy who has to deal with **** - a lot of **** Or lets say it in other words: the live of nearly everyone. So i guess poeple like this movie because they can relate how ****ty live can be. It seems that americans love movies like this at the moment (Nomadland). But i think its only average.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

6

AgentLviJun 27, 2023

not bad movie, but not good either. The story is really miss & match, visual is decent, and the voice is also decent

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews