Anyone who has seen Manchester by the Sea will understand how gruelling it is to watch. I believe I saw it for the first time at the cinema. I love the stand – alone music in the movie but they introduced the music of Tomaso Albinoni’s – Adagio in G Minor showcased in Gallipoli for the harrowing scene in Manchester By the Sea which left me perturbed. Why did they need to revisit this music so strongly associated with the Australian cinematic masterpiece Gallipoli?
It threw me off despite my admiration for Manchester By the Sea. Since then, I have seen Manchester by the Sea a few more times on cable tv and my appreciation of it has only intensified, but not with that ‘1’ scene featuring the music of Adagio in G Minor.
Lee Chandler is a brooding, irritable loner who works as a handyman for a Boston apartment block. One damp winter day he gets a call summoning him to his hometown, north of the city. His brother’s heart has given out suddenly, and he’s been named guardian to his 16-year-old nephew. As if losing his only sibling and doubts about raising a teenager weren’t enough, his return to the past re-opens an unspeakable tragedy.
Manchester by the Sea is a 2016 American drama film written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan that stars Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and a wonderful support cast. It revolves around the themes of depression, guilt, grief, responsibility, dysfunctional families, and post-traumatic stress disorder. So let’s just say, it’s no picnic. What it achieves is putting the viewer in the shoes of someone who has suffered an unspeakable tragedy, and it appears the fault lied with his neglect for his family while in a drunken stupor. There are two scenes for me in Manchester by the Sea which stand out above all in this:
The one where Lee Chandler is at the police station where he answers questions of the events of the night and the second is presented below with his former wife Randi Chandler played by Michelle Williams.
From Wikipedia:
Staying in Manchester is still painful for Lee, as he is surrounded by reminders of his past. One day, Lee runs into Randi with her newborn child. A sobbing Randi expresses remorse for her treatment of Lee during their divorce and asks him to have lunch. He deflects her apology, feeling that he does not deserve it. When she insists they reconnect and pleads with him not to “just die”, Lee is overwhelmed with emotion and has to leave before he breaks down.
There are two movies I love Michelle Williams in: This one and Brokeback Mountain. Casey Affleck won best actor for his role here.
References:
1. Manchester by the Sea – Wikipedia
2. Manchester by the Sea – IMDB
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
I saw the film on a long haul flight and thought it was really well-acted – not an easy subject to tackle.
It was demanding watching for the majority of the film an adult man and teenage boy struggling to deal with death. Yeh, the acting in it is very good. I couldn’t fault any of the performances. Thanks for your reflections on it Sheree.
Pleasure