This is a fantastic, devastating movie about loss and grief that works best if you know very little about the plot and what transpires going in as the emotional punch will be all the more effective. It moves at a very natural, believable pace and the script is absolutely incredible. It's not all doom and gloom either and there are quite a few surprisingly hilarious scenes and dialogue exchanges. It also has really strong cinematography and really sells the small-town vibe it's going for. The entire cast is great. Casey Affleck is absolutely incredible and really carries the movie on his shoulders - he's heartbreaking and lives up to the hype that's been surrounding his performance. He's equally matched by a breakout performance from Lucas Hedges, who is also fantastic. The relationship between these two characters makes up the bulk of the story and they play off each other beautifully. Michelle Williams has a small role but really makes the most of her screentime and arguably gets the best scene in the movie near the end where she will rip your heart to pieces. Kyle Chandler is also strong but underused (though I'm not sure how they could have incorporated him any more). It ultimately ends on a somewhat optimistic note and will leave you with plenty to think about when you leave the theater. A

This cut really, really deep for me. It's one of the more visceral portrayals of immediate loss and grief I can remember seeing, but Kenneth Lonergan's direction and screenplay are so impeccable that it avoids drowning itself in melodrama. None of the people in this film feel like scripted characters; I think many people will come away shaken from this film because they identify too much, depending on the life experiences they've had. Casey Affleck is absolutely phenomenal, to the point where I'd be surprised if I saw a better performance by a male actor this year. He is in some ways matched by Lucas Hedges, whose forceful performance actually reminded me a bit of Shailene Woodley's work in The Descendants (i.e. a young actor bursting onto the scene immediately in a strong supporting performance). Michelle Williams also makes good use of limited screen time, with a deeply felt character whose face conveys a lot more than words ever could. Despite its somber subject matter, Lonergan even manages to make this movie laugh out loud funny at several different points, which is no small accomplishment. A

I have to see Arrival again but so far, this is my favorite movie this year.

hm... I thought it was good but I don't really get the praise.

After his more stable elder brother (Kyle Chandler) abruptly dies, an introverted Boston repairman (Casey Affleck) reluctantly returns to his seaside hometown to become his teenage nephew's (Lucas Hedges) guardian. Readjusting to life in a place he left behind amid inconceivable calamity, however, proves daunting. A New England tragedy laced with acerbic humor, Manchester by the Sea is a persuasive and poignant melodrama anchored by an atmospheric presentation of its rustic, icy Massachusetts milieu and a tremendous, bracing portrayal of internalized guilt by Affleck. In my mind, it is a return to the authentic and heartfelt form of You Can Count on Me for writer and director Kenneth Lonergan, whose three-hour Margaret I found nearly as interminable as its troubled production history, though many others instantly claimed it as mistreated masterpiece. Other than one questionable flourish—a brief and uncomfortable reunion with the Hedges character's long-absent mother, played by Gretchen Mol as almost a caricature of hysteria and parental unsuitability—every gesture and pause in Manchester by the Sea rings true.

A-

I loved this and I think it will only get better with each time it's watched. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I saw it. Casey Affleck is an absolute revelation here and should win the Oscar and make him an A-lister, no question. He was absolutely devastating. Lucas Hedges was also wonderful and Michelle Williams, while she didn't have a ton to do, sinks her teeth in every since word she's given.

It's an incredibly realistic film, at points it almost feels like it's not a movie and I'm eavesdropping on these characters real life conversations. The cinematography was beautiful as well. I don't have a negative thing to say about this movie.

See it.

A

Manchester By The Sea didn't ever earn its downer cred with me - sure it's well enough acted, but I just didn't end up caring about the characters. I like tragedy, I like soap opera, I like a laugh or two - but MBTS never congeals.*B*

Really loved this movie! Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, and Michelle Williams are all terrific. Heartbreaking and beautiful.

9/10 (A)

I liked the movie. Casey Affleck and the screenplay are excellent. I think Michelle Williams is over-rated in this role though. While everything is very well done, there isn't really anything about the movie that would make me think I'm going to want to see it again.

7/10

The witch hunt is just now beginning for Casey Affleck, so watch for the shine to fade on MBTS's fortunes - SJW's are on the march!

Yeah my co-worker told me a couple months ago that that was going to happen if he ended up being an Oscar front-runner.

It's that one scene that is getting her the love. She was heartbreaking there. I didn't want that scene to end.

"witch hunt"

The story has been in the news since the awards cycle started. He hasn't lost any steam. So please, stfu bradley.

He's a white male, this was never going to hurt him.

Mel Gibson must be a black trans...

Btw, without having seen Manchester and Birth, it shows what a bunch of hypocrites most critics are. So almost one year ago Birth of a Nation was supposed to be a sure fire Oscar nominee if not the front runner, studios went into a bidding war for it, audience reaction was through the roof, etc., but because of Parker's past, now you barely, if it all, see the movie being mentioned for any critic awards.

Well, it's still the same movie it was one year ago, cinematography, acting, direction, music, costumes, art direction, nothing has changed. I don't care if the whole cast turns out to be a bunch of rapists, killers, pedophiles or tax defrauders, you should judge the movie and not any outside occurrences.

Jesus, how hard is it to not sexually assault people?

Birth of a Nation is a horrible movie though. Not condoning what Affleck did by any means but this movie is actually competently made.

Very powerful. They really got me choked up on a few scenes. The one where he tells Patrick during hockey practice and when Casey tries to kill himself in the police station were the biggest ones. Michele Williams big scene was good too, but it also kind of reminded me of Ruffalo in Spotlight. The entire movie is trying to be grounded and realistic but all of a sudden we have ACTING.

I was pleasantly surprised that the entire was not a bummer. Almost everything with the kid is kind of uplifting actually. Obviously his tragedy wasn't as horrible as Casey's, but I like how they contrasted their ways of dealing with grief and make each other better for it.

Lastly, they could have set this in any old Massachusets town. Setting it in Manchester By the Sea is only so they could have that title, so it is snobby and pretentious after all.

I agree, Manchester By the Sea is competently made.

Really solid stuff, but I can't say I was blown away by it. Casey Affleck is great in this as well as the kid and Michelle Williams has one very emotionally effective scene. I'm surprised she wasn't in it more though considering the amount of praise she's getting. It's really well made, but I also don't think it entirely lives up to it's potential.

Manchester by the Sea

I don't get what is so special about this film. I mean, it is a little thought-provoking in terms of learning to cope with loss, and there are some good/funny exchanges of dialogue (but then this is written by the writer of Analyze This, Analyze That, and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle), but other than that it just plods along and nothing really happens. It is cold, and I felt nothing for any of the characters. I can even relate to some of them, but still I was not moved. And I have absolutely no idea why Casey Affleck is being awarded for his performance. He does nothing special. His Triple 9 performance is better. I'll forget this film quite quickly.

B-/C+

This is pretty great. I really liked the Lee and Patrick relationship and all their scenes together, but Michelle Williams performance steals the show for me, her early scenes in the flashback are just as good as her big Oscar clip for me. Affleck is great showing both Lee's closed off side but also the times when his real feelings do come out. I liked that the film never went overboard with melodrama and didn't try to depress the audience to death, and still had humour. The film excels at making a character say a few ultra meaningful words, stuff like Randi's "You can't just die" and Lee's "There's nothing there" in response, or "I can't beat it" to Patrick say more than a 5 minute crying clip would in other films.

Interesting ending as despite it just being Lee and Patrick bouncing a ball, it changes the film. If Patrick agreed to visit Boston with Lee, the film ends on an optimistic note with Lee on the path to redemption building an emotional relationship with someone again. However Patrick effectively saying no to visiting Boston, means Lee lost his chance with him by not staying in Manchester, just like he did with Randi when she reached out. Lee resigning himself to his fate in Boston is a pretty sad ending.

****1/2 / ***** (A-)

Great drama movie with all around amazing performances, with Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams having one of the most memorable heartbreaking and tear-jerking moments in the history of cinema. It has been amazing year for an auteur kind of filmmaking and it's great to see that they're been given an appropriate acknowledgement too.

This was a great drama and has brilliant performances from all the actors specially Affleck. Michelle Williams doesn't have much to do but she is brilliant in whatever short time she is in. This is a tear-jerker if you relate with the characters (my wife didn't in this case).

8/10

Pretty excellent film, cinematography, acting, score, directing, script are all top notch. I was really into film, and I'd say the length of the film didn't really get to me, until about the last 10 min. And that's where I'd find the film a bit flawed with how it finishes. There's some really good emotional sweeps in the film, but the film doesn't finish on a high note for and that stings a bit. Getting back to the acting, the performances are incredible good, from the supporting roles to Casey in the lead. Well deserved his nomination. I'm interested to check out more of Lonergan films too. Thought the music was great, it makes for some great scenes with the dialogue inaudible. I didn't care too much for the nephew character though, but Michelle Williams was for sure impressive. Just misses my top 10 of the year.

A-