Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Movie: Manchester by the Sea

Starring: Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler

Rating: R (for language throughout and some sexual content.)

Release Date: December 16, 2016

Review:

4 Stars; Excellent

“It’s about real life,” a friend of mine stated as we left the theatre after watching Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester by the Sea. I suppose that’s as good a way as any to describe the film. Audiences are sure to experience just about every emotion felt in life as this picture progresses. To watch Manchester by the Sea is to all at once be plummeted to the depths of despair while simultaneously lifted to the heights of joy. This is a movie that puts forward the notion that humor can be found in all aspects of life, even those which are most tragic. In the midst of one of the film’s darkest moments, for example, I found myself in hysterics as two paramedics attempted again and again to wheel a gurney into the back of an ambulance. I may have been the only one laughing in the theatre (given the scene’s tragic nature, perhaps no one else noticed this little bit of comic relief?), but regardless…

Manchester by the Sea begins with an introduction to Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck), a janitor at an apartment complex in Boston who lives alone, keeps his jacket hood up at almost all times, keeps his head down, and keeps his hands in his pockets. Lee is depressed; that much is obvious. Through a series of flashback sequences, it’s revealed that Lee didn’t always exile himself to a tiny 2-room apartment, though; once upon a time he had a beautiful family and wonderful relationships with his older brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler), and nephew, Patrick (Lucas Hedges), in the quaint, scenic fishing village of Manchester, Massachusetts. Obviously something went wrong, however, and Lee seems to be doing all he can to avoid the place that was once his happy home.

Those flashback sequences, by the way, are part of what make Manchester so captivating. Throughout the movie, scenes occurring in the present day are occasionally interrupted with scenes from the past, creating a sort of mosaic of the life of Lee and his family. Manchester is a mausoleum of a happier, past life that Lee used to know, and though at first a tad jarring and confusing, the flashback technique eventually makes that clear. Lee remembers the past, and as he does, the audience pieces together his story. They get to know Lee as they would get to know anyone they were to meet in real life; little by little and over time, through bits and pieces of his story.

Early in the movie, Lee receives a phone call about his brother, Joe, from the hospital. Joe’s had a heart attack, and by the time Lee reaches Manchester, he’s passed away. Shortly thereafter, he’s informed that in his will, Joe named Lee Patrick’s guardian, a task Lee very much doubts he’s suited for. From there, the magic of Manchester truly begins, as Lee and Patrick’s relationship unfurls before us through witty dialogue and magnificent acting.

Manchester offers a very character driven plot, making the performances crucial to the film’s success. So often in dramas, feelings come across as forced and phony, but not in Manchester. There’s something natural about the way Affleck and Hedges interact with the world that director Lonergan has constructed. Particularly impressive is young actor Lucas Hedges, who portrays Patrick as a snarky and sarcastic teenager, sassing his way through the entire film. Yet his attitude never comes across as annoying or overly disrespectful. Instead Patrick’s witty and cynical responses add a certain amount of familiarity and comfort to a character who has experienced so much trauma in his life, it otherwise might be difficult for many to relate to him. Patrick uses sarcasm as a way to cope with his pain, and in doing so, he enables the audience to cope with his pain as well.

The most memorable moment of the picture? A scene towards the end of the film, in which Lee’s ex-wife, Randi (Michelle Williams) forgives Lee for the disaster that struck them years earlier, even as Lee has yet to forgive himself. This is raw; it’s real. How? I don’t know, but Williams manages to feel exactly how Randi feels. In a moment that can’t have lasted longer than 2 minutes, she manages to steal the movie. Randi needs Lee to be okay. She needs him to know that despite everything that happened, she still loves him very much and does not blame him for what was a terrible accident. Despite this, however, Lee is determined to carry his cross with him for life, and has no intention of getting past his past. For this scene alone, Affleck and Williams both deserve Oscar nominations.

As I began writing this review, I found myself wondering if Manchester by the Sea is a film that I would want to watch again. Initially, my answer was no. After about 5 minutes, however, I changed my mind. Manchester is probably one of the most relatable movies I’ve ever seen. Here is a film that, despite being jam-packed with emotion, features characters that seem to be doing their best to suppress every feeling they can. It’s a sad tale, but so often life is a sad tale as well. Besides, this is a film which understands that, even when there is grief, hopelessness, anger, and fear, love and forgiveness still exist, and all who seek after those things come out okay in the end. In Manchester by the Sea, Kenneth Lonergan has crafted a world in which characters aren’t perfect and things don’t always wrap up in “happily ever after.” And that’s okay, because even so, life goes on, and it’s still worth living.

Fences (2016)

Movie: Fences

Starring: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen McKinley

Release Date: December 25, 2016

Rating:

3 1/2 Stars; Very Good

The words of August Wilson are the true star of Denzel Washington’s Fences. Sure, both Washington and Viola Davis give Oscar-worthy performances as Troy and Rose Maxson (Davis, in particular is outstanding), but it’s the everyman style of Wilson’s writing that makes this play-turned-movie magical. There’s something almost Shakespearean to the pattern of speech Wilson provides the characters; a rhythm and flow seldom achieved by writers. Given their obvious admiration for the source material, it's likely that both Washington and Davis would agree with this assessment. It’s clear that for both of them, this is more than just another role in some movie; this is a labor of love, and Washington and Davis pour their hearts and souls into their characters.
           As mentioned above, Washington stars as Troy Maxson, a vivid storyteller with an almost mythical past, at least, according to the way he tells it. Rose (Viola Davis), his wife, is always nearby to call his bluff and add some realism to his tall tales. Troy works as a garbage man in 1950’s Philadelphia, and believes society has constructed a fence around him through segregationist policies that he argues prevented him from becoming a Major League Baseball player (though Rose suggests his age at the time of tryouts may have been the larger issue). This leads to conflict with Troy’s son, Cory (Jovan Adepo), who hopes to someday play football in the NFL. Troy claims that this goal is unrealistic and argues that should Cory take up a trade instead. Though he suggests that Cory would likely be an unsuccessful pro athlete due to the color of his skin, the bitterness with which Troy speaks of his failed baseball career suggests a tinge of jealousy and resentment underlining the rejection of his son's dream.

Even after it’s revealed that just about every other sentence spoken by Troy is hyperbole, it's hard not to feel sympathy for him. A conversation with his friend, Bono (Stephen McKinley Henderson), and his oldest son from an earlier marriage, Lyons (Russell Hornsby), reveals a childhood that ended far too early due to a runaway mother an abusive father. This is a man who appears to have sacrificed much for his family, working a laborious job while attempting to maintain and care for his home. His only relief from life comes on Friday evenings when he shares drinks with Bono in the backyard. Troy is exhausted, and the audience can see it in Washington’s eyes. In Troy, Washington portrays a man who simultaneously loves life even as he resents the one he’s living. He oozes with charisma and charm, yet through his smile, there’s a hint of frustration.

Equally as mesmerizing is Viola Davis as Rose. Every chance she gets on screen she manages to steal the show; no easy feat given the performances of her co-stars. Like Troy, Rose is tired. She remembers loving her husband long ago, but she’s starting to forget why that was. Eventually, after Troy’s admission of an affair that he plans to continue regardless of her feelings, she finds herself trapped; fenced in by a marriage that long ago lost its purpose, as well as by Troy’s cruelty to her son. Davis’s performance is so strong, after a heated exchange with Troy, the audience literally witnesses the life drain from Rose’s body. Her face fills with sorrow as she realizes that, as an African American woman in 1950’s America, there is no gate through the fence that has her trapped.

In addition to Washington and Davis, Stephen McKinley Henderson, portraying Troy’s best friend, Bono, deserves quite a bit of recognition as well. There’s such an endearing quality to his performance; he’s not only Troy’s best friend, he’s the audience’s best friend too.

One final note: there are really only two settings in Fences, in which nearly the entire movie takes place; the kitchen/living room and the backyard. Some have suggested this gives the film a play-like feel and detracts from the movie’s overall quality. They could not be more wrong. In only showing the same two settings that Troy and Rose see every day, the same fences that surround the main characters begin to surround the audience. Viewers feel their burdens and understand their frustrations. It was a brilliant decision that adds an additional layer of emotional depth to what was already a compelling film.