This one is not for those who can't endure pain. It is a story about grief, how to live with it or not live with it. How it affects others. What people do to get through it. Casey Affleck gives one of the bravest, truest, realistic performance I have ever seen. He's in almost every scene and you cannot take your eyes away from his haunted face. The use of overlapping dialog was a terrific choice for allowing the characters to feel related. Michelle Williams is only in a few scenes but her final one knocks it out of the park. The setting is perfect, the characters feel real and they are given time to develop. By the movie's end you could write an essay about each of them--that's how well you know them. Just don't expect to walk out smiling. What humor there is comes from a young actor, Lucas Hedges, who again feels organic. Every line seems perfectly suited to a smart, nice kid. And like every character he has one scene that will tear you up. Maybe LaLa Land or Jackie or Fences will up the ante but this looks like the best picture of the year. And this after my deep admiration of MOONLIGHT.
11 comments:
Your comments are helpful to me. They tell me this is probably not for me. I read SF/fantasy/Horror because while there is human pain it is is removed from reality. I typically don't want to read or see true, realistic human pain and grief portrayed. I've experienced it. I've seen far too many who I love experience it. As a psychologist I've been exposed to much pain from others who I don't really know well. I know I will experience it again in reality myself, so I'm not really going to expose myself to it in fiction if I can help it.
Definitely not for me. Life is depressing enough these days.
MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA isn't here yet, but it's on our list of movies to see Real Soon. LOVING has some sad moments, too.
Probably seeing this this week. I don't find depressing movies or books depressing(at least on a personal level) if that makes any sense, as long as they good. I don't walk out of a depressing movie feeling personally depressed.
I didn't care much for Moonlighting. Well done but I seemed to know what was going to happen next from scene to scene.
If it's art I am exhilarated by it even if it makes me sad. I don't really see movies to be entertained. Seeing LOVING next week.
There used to be Hollywood films that I liked. But now when I think of Hollywood, I think of syuperhero films, action films, gross comedy, films like THE ACCOUNTANT. All of the films I like best now play at THe Main, the DFT or the Maple. Art house venues. I need to check that profile page.
Okay, I checked. Most of those films would not come out of Hollywood now. They would mostly be indie films. I am continually surprised at how few films I like get mass distribution. Mancester by the Sea might transition though based on the sizes of the audience. I doubt all of the people in the typical multiplex would like it though. It's too character-oriented.
Patti-another post attributed to me which isn't mine. The one at 9:32 AM.
Saw Manchester By the Sea today. Liked it a lot. Nice to see a character driven film that doesn't go straight to DVD or cable.
Not a great year for films. So far my best of list would include:
Manchester By the Sea
Hacksaw Ridge
The Arrival
Hell or High Water
The Handmaiden
Still need to see Nocturnal Animals. Saw the previews of La La Land. Doesn't look like a film I would enjoy.
I go to the Maple and Main a lot also. Love the DFT but being tall the seats are uncomfortable.
The 7:20 post is not mine either.
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