MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Manchester by the Sea from writer-director Kenneth Lonergan is a difficult yet absorbing film about grief. When his brother dies, Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is asked to care of his teenage son. Lonergan’s writing is exceptional, like reading a great novel, and Affleck is worthy of his Oscar-nominated turn as an uncle who doesn’t know how to quite handle being a guardian to his nephew (played by newcomer Lucas Hedges). Manchester by the Sea is not easy viewing by any means, but worth the time to those who watch. The release comes with an EPK-style featurette on the making of the picture and deleted scenes. The highlight in terms of supplemental material, though, is audio commentary from filmmaker Lonergan as he recounts his experiences in writing and directing the film.
