Reviewing Movies

Casey Affleck was and is Ben’s little brother who played the younger sibling in the back seat of Ben’s car in Good Will Hunting who couldn't afford his hamburger. Twenty years later he can trade Oscars with his Brother who has at least two but none for acting. Keeping it all in the family so to speak Matt Damon produced this opus. The director also wrote the screen play for which he too got an Oscar. Produced by Amazon. 

What makes this film special is the fact that the characters are ordinary down on their luck working people. Lee Chandler is the caretaker/handyman for a group of Brownstones in the Boston area. 

Unlike the Mr. America wannabes on Riverdale Casey does not affect a six-pack though he shovels snow with alacrity. The sound quality on this disk is somewhat lacking making the dialogue often hard to follow. The language used is working class, the behaviour rough and tumble, bar room brawls and on ice fights. The classical often sacred music in the score often seems off-kilter with the action onscreen. 

Lee and his 16-year-old nephew Patrick love one another but their relationship is not touch feely. Through flash backs we learn of the tragedies that have caused Lee to shut down emotionally and why coming back home is the last thing he wants to do. Both Lee and his brother Joe are divorced. 

From IMDB one learns the production team shot in Manchester by the Sea and its police chief, fire, and EMT Staff participated in the filming, ironic because on camera the paramedics have trouble getting the gurney into the truck. 

A great deal of repressed emotion makes this a difficult film to watch at times. Lee expresses his in anger which comes out when he is drinking though in bar room brawls, not at home. This film makes the audience feel uncomfortable Casey’s performance obviously the kind that members of the Academy admire.

Upon second watching I found more depth in the inter-relationships as I was less shocked though the fist through the window still startled me as unexpected.