Ahead of this year's Oscar's, to be held on Sunday 26 February, one is spoiled for choice when it comes to the nominated best pictures. Among the exceptional films this year are La La Land, Moonlight, Lion, Fences, and my personal favourite, which I recommend unreservedly, Manchester by the Sea.
Based purely on its plot summary, Manchester by the Sea does not appear compelling. A handyman returns to his hometown to take care of his late brother's son. So what? On this basis, one might rather enjoy the warm hearted musical that has Ryan Gosling's and Emma Stone's characters explore love and a passion for the arts in sunny Los Angeles.
The beauty of Manchester by the Sea lies in something else. It is painfully raw and heartbreaking. Watching the film is as close as one can get to witnessing, if not truly empathising with, a real life tragedy in front of the big screen. Those tragedies are what we hope to never experience. But in fact the experiences teach us about the difficulties and complexities of life, and Manchester by the Sea encourages us to open our eyes to them.
A brief description of the story is in order. Lee, Casey Affleck's character, reluctantly returns to his hometown in Manchester by the Sea to assume the role of guardian for his nephew, Patrick. In doing so, Lee faces, not only the challenges in assuaging an emotionally unstable teenager, but also tackling with the traumatic incident that he thought was locked away forever when he left the Sea. The details of the incident should remain undisclosed. Consider it fair to say that once the tragedy is revealed, Lee's outlook on life becomes clearer to the viewer.
Make no mistake, Manchester by the Sea is a heavy film. Nevertheless, it hardly feels melodramatic or overly sentimental. The main character internalises the return of his unresolved feelings and heartbreak, whereas his former partner yields to the drive to tear up and break down emotionally at the slightest reminder of the incident.
This gives the movie authenticity: it tells us that there is no right way to respond to a tragedy, whether in its immediate aftermath or many years after.
Lastly, Manchester by the Sea is a film to see because it uncovers what one may not expect to see in a film. Indeed, many motion pictures provide glimpses of a story, piece by piece, that a viewer can ably connect together to paint a complete picture. By contrast, Manchester by the Sea resists tidy answers and simple resolutions. It presents life as it is: complicated, heartbreaking, and full of words unsaid.
