Movie Review: Manchester by the Sea (English)

For a film that deals with sombre, agonising themes such as grief, guilt, loss, and the emotional catharsis that eventually comes with it, Manchester by the Sea shouldn't have been anything but an excruciating watch. For it exactly mirrors the kind of personal experiences we as individuals, as friends, come up against from time to time as we go forward in this endless roller-coaster called life.

Kenneth Lonergan's astutely mature, well-directed venture about what happens to someone when he comes face to face with misfortune, and what he makes of it makes for a completely absorbing experience with startling verisimilitude. It's made even more unforgettable by an astounding performance from Casey Affleck as the irritable Boston-based janitor Lee, who must return to his hometown Manchester by the Sea to face the demons he had been long running from following his brother's sudden death to take care of his teenage son Patrick (Lucas Hedges). Emotional, beautifully layered and wonderfully human, Manchester by the Sea is an absolute knock-out.