The Kindergarten Teacher

How much value should we place on creative pursuits during our life? How can we find inner peace and contentment being “average”? What is “average”? How do we define a life that is “great”? All of these questions are raised during the film The Kindergarten Teacher, out now on Netflix streaming. While it may not provide clear answers, I believe these are deeply thought provoking ideas brought to the surface during the film.

The Kindergarten Teacher stars Maggie Gylennhaal and the young actor Parker Sevak in his first film. Gylennhaal, known most recently for her reoccurring role of Candy on the HBO series The Deuce, pours herself into the role of Lisa Spinelli; a kindergarten teacher for almost twenty years. She plays the role expertly, portraying a woman who is dissatisfied with the mundane repetition of life. She seeks more passion, excitement and exploration. Taking a nightly adult education poetry class, she attempts to fill the persistently felt void. Her interactions with her own children, both teenagers, are the most telling about her character. She believes that her kids are capable of achieving more, even if she’s not quite sure what the “more” is. Her daughter gets excellent grades and her son wants to join the military out of high school, and she still gives the impression they haven’t satisfied her. Her projection of her own desires for life onto her children is overt. Her relationship with her husband is an afterthought. You wonder what would make Lisa happy and fulfilled. When she discovers a five year old boy in her class who has a knack for poetry, she believes she may have found that fulfillment. Unfortunately, we the audience know better.

Jimmy is a quiet five year old with curly black hair and large inquisitive eyes. He never stands out until one day, Lisa sees him pacing back and forth, quietly reciting beautifully expressive lines of poetry. Lisa soon realizes he has a gift for poetry far beyond his years, and the writers of the film give him some truly splendid words to recite. Lisa understands that Jimmy has a talent that exceeds her own poetic abilities, and she takes it upon herself to become his creative counselor; attempting to coax more words and material out of him. Apart from the gift of poetry, Jimmy fits most typical five year old stereotypes. He likes running and playing and has an attention span to match his age. As their relationship develops, Lisa becomes more obsessive about Jimmy, but the movie never settles into black and white. Is she obsessed with Jimmy the child or more his talent? Is she envious of him and wanting to exploit him or is her protective nature towards his poetic sensitivity coming from an honest and good place?

In my opinion, the overarching question this film presents is: what should our priorities be in life? Jimmy’s father Nikhil, played by the actor Ajay Naidu, is a rarely-present dad who owns a nightclub and works what seems to be seven days a week. When Lisa confronts Jimmy’s father trying to make him understand his son’s creative gift and the importance of nurturing that gift, his father is clearly more interested in the grounded pursuit of financial stability. He mentions how his brother, who introduced Jimmy to poetry, is “only making fifty-thousand dollars a year” as a newspaper editor, and makes clear that he considers him a failure. Lisa, trying to underline her need of nurturing such a rare talent as Jimmy’s, draws comparisons to Mozart, but Nikhil is not impressed. But really, who’s right? Is it better to focus on making money and building financial stability, or should we concentrate on developing our talents, even if they lead us away from financial gain?

The ending of the film, while I think it is brilliant, comes as a melancholy reminder that there are no simple resolutions. In discussing the movie with my wife, we came to a satisfying point to consider. Why can’t we as a society be more content living in the world of the average? Why must everything be great? When the median individual income in the United States in 2016 was $31,099 (Source: Real Median Personal Income in the United States: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEPAINUSA672N), and Jimmy’s uncle makes $50,000 as an individual, which is more than 70% of individuals in this country, is that not enough? When Jimmy makes beautiful poems that people find moving, does he have to write wildly successful books and experience Mozart-levels of fame to be considered talented and important? Is his gift of poetry for everyone else to consume, or for his own enjoyment?

Here’s my soapbox moment: I think our country in particular has a sickness related to achievement and fame. I know I feel it every day, comparing my life to the levels of financial gain, notoriety on social media, and possessions attained by others. I try to be satisfied, but the constant messages we are bombarded with through the Internet, T.V., films, magazines, books and more, tell us we are not adequate. We should be smarter, faster, richer, thinner, more beautiful and, at the end of the day, different than who we currently are. I know it’s not a revolutionary thing to say, but we need to be better at being okay with the mundane. Finding the beautiful in the every day. Finding satisfaction in what we have, not what we should be. That is not to say we should not nurture talent, art, or creativity. But, the pursuit should be about the journey, not the destination. The place where happiness exists is already here, and nothing we do can manifest satisfaction as a final destination for tomorrow.

I want to leave you with a link to one of my favorite speeches of all time; a commencement speech by the late writer David Foster Wallace entitled This is Water. When I have trouble remembering that I don’t have to be Mozart or make a million dollars, I find that this speech helps to ground me. It helps me remember what is important. Maybe Lisa could have used this reminder as well.

Nocturnal Animals

Some of my favorite films are those that leave me with more questions than answers. If you dislike ambiguity, I would not recommend Nocturnal Animals.  I found this film to be a gripping, immersive tale, interweaving multiple plots and timelines. With hyper-stylish production and three extremely talented main actors, Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals has stayed with me well past the initial viewing.

Nocturnal Animals (NA) is directed by Tom Ford, who, in addition to being a film director, is a successful fashion designer with his own clothing label. He wrote the screenplay for the film, which was adapted from the the book Tony and Susan by Austin Wright. Ford’s interpretation of the story changes a few details, including moving the setting of the novel read inside the story from Maine to west Texas. The main arc of the book, however, remains intact. Ford is also the writer and director the excellent 2009 film A Single Man starring Colin Firth. As a director, he has a very elegant, clean and focused eye. His style leans towards high fashion and design, with specific attention to the costuming, colors, and framing of every shot. If I have one critique of Ford’s directing and writing, it is his lack of warmth and heart in his characters. While style is important to a film, and you will find yourself mesmerized by the contemporary, extravagant imagery and classical score, the feel of his work can leave you a bit cold. In a story like NA, this somewhat sterile approach works well at times. Although emotion is an afterthought, you do feel the pain of Gyllenhaal’s character, Tony, through his powerful and evocative performance.

I won’t spoil much of the plot of the film here. I will say that it weaves present day, the past, and the plot of a novel the main character Susan (played by Amy Adams) is reading. Susan lives in California and works as an artist in the elite L.A. art scene. She is in an unsatisfying marriage to a younger man, played by The Scoial Network‘s Armie Hammer. The book Susan receives has been sent to her by her ex-lover, Tony (played by Jake Gyllenhaal). Gyllenhaal also plays the main character in the book, Edward Sheffield, as the story unfolds in Susan’s mind. The book, a mystery/thriller, has a special significance to Susan, and as she reads through it, we experience a gripping, frightening roller coaster. The first scenes from the book are some of the most harrowing I have witnessed in a long time. Not since the 2014 horror flick The Babadook have I found a film that feels so menacing. NA is not a horror film, and this disturbing scene is in the context of the novel read by Susan. As the book progresses, the viewer encounters parallels between the story on the page and the story of Susan’s life.

NA weaves in a plot outside the world of the manuscript Susan is reading. We find out more about the relationship between Susan and Tony. We learn what they meant to each other, and the mystery of what went wrong between them unfolds. These parts of the film are just as engaging as the more action driven sections that take place in the world of the novel. I love a relationship driven story, and the chemistry between the two leads is excellent. This is particularly apparent in a scene where Susan reminisces about their bumping into each other in New York city at the start of their courtship.

Michael Shannon plays a major role in NA. Shannon, a tall, brooding actor, is always a pleasure to watch. This year he is nominated for a best supporting actor Academy Award for his performance. He plays Bobby Andes, a west Texas cop, who is the main detective on the case that evolves in the novel. Bobby is a no-nonsense pragmatist, which is a refreshing turn for Michael Shannon. His characters tend to be, at best, morally ambiguous. He brings an intensity to every performance that must lead casting directors to believe he would be most effective playing a villain. In NA, he is the driving force for justice, keeping Edward’s hopes alive.

In a small cameo of sorts, during a dinner scene that takes place in Susan’s past, Laura Linney delivers a sublime performance as Susan’s conservative Texan mother, Anne. They discuss Susan’s future over dinner and Linney immerses herself in the role of a traditional upper class southern belle. She was so convincing and unrecognizable that it was about thirty seconds into their scene together that I realized it was Linney. I would have liked to see her character appear in more than one scene.

Special mention to the musical score by Abel Korzeniowski. Mr. Korzeniowski wrote the score for Tom Ford’s A Single Man as well. He uses strings to evoke haunting desolation. There is something so clean and effective about the music and it raises the quality of every scene it accompanies. I hope to hear his work in future films!

Nocturnal Animals achieves something most movies do not: It makes you think about the meaning of its story long after the credits. You are drawn into a world both in the film and in the book inside the film that are relentless in their attention to detail and style. You will find yourself transfixed on the journey that Edward and Bobby undertake to find justice. At the same time, you will become just as intrigued by what happens to Tony and Susan’s relationship and any possibility they might have for a future. The final scene of the film is mysterious, leaving room for interpretation. So, grab your popcorn, settle in with a few friends, and I promise you’ll have a lot to talk about.

 

 

 

 

Paterson

Paterson, written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, is a simple yet profound look into the hidden depth of every life. Starring Adam Driver and Golshifteh Farahanilt, the film centers around a poetic bus driver played by Driver, named Paterson, living in Paterson, New Jersey. Like most films directed by Jarmusch,  Paterson sets a meditative pace, absorbing you in to the world it creates. Poetry is a central theme for the movie, and scenes are tied together with beautiful poetic interludes written by the main character. How much you enjoy this movie will depend on the mood you are in. If you feel inclined to slowly savor scenes and dialog, you will enjoy the subtle magic this film has to offer.

Adam Driver is a hot commodity these days. Starring in the successful HBO series Girls, Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens, and more recently Martin Scorsese’s Silence, his star is shining bright. Driver does an excellent job playing a much more understated and quiet character than his previous roles. He works diligently as a bus driver for the city of Paterson, keeping to a daily and nightly routine of work and walking the dog, then stopping for one beer at his local bar. Depending on how much you’ve seen of Driver’s past work, it may be difficult to picture him as a man living a simple (at least externally simple) life. It was hard to get past the celebrity status of Driver during the first few scenes, but once the movie found its flow with the poetry he creates and the repetition of his rituals, I forgot about his celebrity status To his credit, Driver is a dedicated chameleon who adeptly disappears into a role. He took a three month course to learn how to drive a city bus, actually driving the large machine during all of the filming.

Golshifteh FarahaniIt is excellent as Paterson’s creative, stay-at-home girlfriend. Farahanilt, an Iranian born actress, got her breakout role in Ridley Scott’s Body of Lies. Here, she plays a devoted and creative soul, who works on myriad art projects during the day while Paterson drives his bus. The nature of their relationship left me conflicted. On the one hand, I love how much respect they give to each other’s creativity. She supports his poetry and he supports her artistic, musical, and confectionery endeavors. I also think it’s refreshing to see a story about a young couple that doesn’t include a single sex scene. In fact, sex isn’t present in the movie at all – a rarity for a film about modern day twenty-somethings. I love the fact that Jarmusch writes these characters with hopes and dreams and rich inner feelings beyond lust and stimulation. On the other hand, I don’t know how realistic their relationship is, and it left me with questions. How long have they been together? Is there truth to a relationship without conflict? Is the distance between them realistic for a lasting bond?  In the end, I found myself enjoying their relationship for what it was.

Jim Jarmusch is a director I have a lot of respect for. In the same vein as Woody Allen or Martin Scorsese, the talented Jarmusch has defined a unique style to his movies. By that same token, his films can be divisive and haven’t always worked for me. Some of my recommended films by this director include Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai from 1999, and Down By Law, released in 1986. The more you watch his work, the more you understand this director. He isn’t interested in standard plot tropes. There is no hero saving a damsel in distress. There will be no climatic action scene. The points Mr. Jarmusch wants to get across are subtle. In Paterson there is a recurring theme of a dog being left alone on a sidewalk. My viewing companion was sure that, eventually, the dog was going to be kidnapped. I assured her, knowing the director’s style, that the dog would be okay and the film would not include a “find the missing pet” plot line – that’s just not his style. Jarmusch wants to pull you into his world; setting up characters, atmosphere, and small interactions. There is rarely an overt goal to a scene, at least not for the purpose of plot development. As a director, he seems more interested in evoking an emotion from his viewer, or perhaps creating a small trick of misdirection. You think you know how a moment will play out, but he quietly surprises you.

I need to mention the music. Wonderful ambient tunes underlie many of the film’s poetic moments. I saw at the end of the film that the music is composed by SQURL, which turns out to be Jim Jarmusch and Carter Logan. The hypnotic guitar and synth pads blend perfectly with the measured readings by Driver.

I’m not a huge poetry reader. I couldn’t recite much beyond a few standard lines by Robert Frost. Paterson made me want to explore the world of poetry more than any other film I have seen. There is an excellent poem by William Carlos Williams in the movie, and I now want to read more of Williams’ work. Driver’s character is a sensitive and watchful soul. His poetry contains minute details of his life and thoughts. You feel much more bonded to him because of the poetry he writes throughout the film. His writing is presented in an excellent, hypnotic style. The words appear on screen as if hand written, and Driver reads each word as if jotting it down for the first time as he says it out loud. It’s extremely effective, drawing you in to each syllable. There’s a quiet magic to the poetry, and the world around Paterson (the man and the city). I won’t spoil it for you, but I will say I found the final scene, and accompanying poem in the film, to be purely transcendent.

Paterson is a unique and quiet film. It may not win many awards, but there is a deep power to the rhythm of its world. The poetry in the movie is contemplative and refreshing. There are quirky and special moments within the routine of each day. Jarmusch is able to evoke a feeling of hope in the viewer. He lets us all know, whatever our status in life, wherever our place, we can lead rich and creative lives. We can all find the magic in the mundane.

 

 

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

I have always enjoyed the anticipation leading up to a new Star Wars film. When the first trailers were released for Rogue One (RO) it was visually intriguing, with a heavily featured tropical location. As additional trailers were released, my hopes rose as I saw a variety of talented actors including Forest Whitaker, Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelson and Ben Mendelsohn. I thought that maybe this could really stand out as the first Star Wars film made by Disney outside of the main, nine film story arc. Unfortunately, what we have ended up with is a mostly forgettable film, that seems to be aimed at twelve year old boys (and girls) who enjoy explosions and almost non-stop action.

I only care about a film as much as the writers care about developing their characters. From the start of the movie, the story moves from planet to planet, plot point to plot point, introducing characters very quickly. I found myself thinking “Wait, what is the name of that character again? Who is this person and why are they important to the film?” It was twenty minutes in that I realized that the movie does not care about character development. It has an action driven focus that rarely relents. After the tenth action scene,  with people running from blaster fire, I stopped caring. I think the director, Gareth Edwards, who made the most recent Godzilla reboot, missed what, for me, makes Star Wars special: The imagination.

When you feel like the film could swap out the main characters for World War II soldiers or AT-AT walkers for modern day military equipment and nothing would change, you wonder why someone bothered setting this in the Star Wars universe at all? There’s a real lack of imagination on display during RO, and if you have seen the previous six Star Wars films, there is nothing new here to truly surprise you. For really die-hard fans who know the backstories of different planets visited by the heroes, or the history of the drones and alien races encountered, these details may provide a thirll. For me, there was only one scene in the entire film that felt epic and made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up: Similar to the compelling Yoda lightsaber battle in the, otherwise terrible, Attack Of The Clones, RO saves a very powerful scene for the end, and it was my favorite part of the whole thing.

Let’s talk about the good things in the movie:

The settings!

There are some really great settings here, including the grassy plains of the first planet where we meet a young Jyn Erso (as an adult played by Felicty Jones). The tropical planet that the entire thirty minute climatic action sequence takes place on is very beautiful to look at as well, with the shallow turquoise water providing a tranquility in contrast ton all of the destruction.

K-2SO!

I honestly couldn’t remember the name of this droid. However, the tall and lanky robot, voiced by Alan Tudyk, provides the only comedic relief in the otherwise grim and no-nonsense film. He gets the best lines here, and even though the sassy robot character has been done before (BB8, R2-D2) the droid’s one-liners are still a welcome relief from the thoughtless action.

Felicity Jones!

She does an admirable job of representing a heroine who stands on her own against an all male cast out to stop her. I never felt like the writers were making a canned women’s empowerment message with her character. She was as strong, or stronger, than the other characters, without gender in the forefront. Jones is a great actress who gave a strong performance as Stephen Hawking’s wife in 2015’s The Theory Of Everything. That role lead to a nomination for an Academy Award. Ms. Jones continues to be a force in Hollywood, with the recently released film, based on an excellent young adult book, A Monster Calls.

Donnie Yen!

Donnie, a martial arts expert who has been the lead role in the Chinese Kung fu film series Ip Man, pulls the most emotional weight out of the film as a blind guardian warrior. It feels slightly exploitative to use a person’s blindness to garner empathy, but his performance is filled with compassion and his lines are the most thought provoking. Yen’s character scratches the surface of what could have been deeper explorations about violence, power and faith. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t take enough time to dig down to the heart of them.

The other talent here feels under-utilized. Ben Mendelsohn was fantastic in the Australian movie Animal Kingdom and the the Netflix series Bloodlines as a villainous man looming over everyone. Here, he feels restrained to common “bad-guy” tropes; power hungry and vengeful. The Danish actor Mads Mikkelson was fantastic in such films as The Hunt and A Royal Affair. Here, he is in a limited number of predictable scenes as Jyn’s caring father. You never feel any development to his character. Same goes for Riz Ahmed, who is on screen so infrequently, I almost forgot was in the movie. Ahmed is a fantastic actor who played the leading role in HBO’s The Night Of and also more than held his own alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler. It was sad to see an actor of his skill limited to a few scenes. Forest Whitaker is in the film too, for a couple minutes. Again, he’s gone before you ever really care. You get the point. There is little time for quiet, introspective development of characters between the explosions and shooting.

I found myself missing the quieter moments that made me care in previous Star Wars films. Luke training with Yoda. Rey rummaging through a destroyer that met its demise in the desert. The softer side of Star Wars always balanced out the action. When you take those moments out of the equation, you lose the underlying soul of the series.

Do you love action movies? Do you love Star Wars? If the answer to both of these questions is a resounding “YES!”, then you will love Rogue One. To me, it’s the most forgettable Star Wars movie ever made. They tried to pack in so many characters, locations, and action scenes, that it all ends up blurring together. It’s not that the movie is poorly written or executed. But it hardly uses screen time to make us care about the heroes fighting the gun battles and chases happening one after the other. The story is a one-shot disposable quest. When it’s over, I felt like I had snacked on a Star Wars film. Now, this December with episode eight on the way, I’m ready for the full meal.

 

 

Blue Jay

Did you ever have a high school sweetheart: A romance that seemed to top all experiences after it? Was it just the heightened emotion of your teenage years or was there something to that relationship, that connection, that made it deeper and more meaningful than the rest to come? Blue Jay, written by Mark Duplass and starring Mark Duplass and the amazing Sarah Paulson, is the intimate story of two former lovers who cross paths years later in their hometown. The film examines these questions and provides a heartbreaking look at love lost and wisdom gained.

I should start this review by letting you know I am not a huge fan of action movies. I find more emotional highs and lows in the chemistry of well written characters and well executed performances than I do in a blazing gun battle or mechanical robot action sequence. For me, after watching many action films, they all start to blur together. How many times do I need to see someone being shot in the head or jumping off a building? Maybe it’s just the pacifist in me, but I find less excitement in explosions and shoot-outs than in well developed characters and relationships. If you appreciate romance, and the emotional roller coaster that comes along with it, you will love Blue Jay.

Blue Jay is a simple movie. You don’t find a sweeping story arc here. The film, being shot in black and white, keeps the viewer’s focus on the performances rather than the setting. The precise location is unimportant and the story is universal. It occurs over the course of twenty-four hours, mainly with two actors in one house. It is up to these two actors to make us care, make us laugh and make us cry. This could sound boring or simple, but if you’ve ever experienced first love (and who among us hasn’t) the film is completely engrossing. Mark Duplass and Sarah Paulson do an excellent job pulling us in to their shared bond, and create an enrapturing chemistry which allows you to forget that this is a work of fiction. The strength of their connection is what makes this film worth watching.

Mark Duplass, of the Duplass Brothers production team with his brother Jay, is an extremely gifted writer and actor who has his finger on the pulse of what it feels like to move through your thirties. He wrote this film, as well as other excellent works including the film Jeff, Who Lives at Home and the HBO television series Togetherness. Duplass captures the heart of male characters who, in his creations, are more layered and introspective than the usual action hero fare we encounter in today’s Hollywood. His writing is thoughtful and insightful, and you find yourself effortlessly identifying with the characters he creates. At times his performances feel too safe, with little variation from role to role. This critique is tempered, however, by  the honesty and nuance of his work.

I need to take a paragraph to talk about Sarah Paulson. This woman is long overdue to be in the spotlight as one of the best female actors at this time. Her recent and excellent performance as the real-life attorney Marcia Clark in the television series American Crime Story: The People Vs. O.J. Simpson, won her an Emmy award. This movie features her in her first leading role, and she completely dominates the screen with her intricate performance. Paulson truly embodies her character of Amanda. While watching her, I thought to myself how difficult it must be to go back to being “yourself” after such deep commitment to being someone else. The subtlety of her expressions and her gestures towards Jim are so organic that it’s difficult to believe the scenes are scripted. Because of Sarah Paulson, you want to take in every second of this movie. I would not be surprised to see her nominated for a Golden Globe or Academy Award for her future film performances, if not for her role in Blue Jay.

Sometimes the most simple stories are the most effective. In Blue Jay, the chemistry of the characters is what pulls you in. Their connection and the story of their history builds into a memorable climax. By the end of the film, I was on the edge of my seat to see what would happen next. Love is the human experience we can all relate to, and in the end, it provides a more compelling drama than any number of explosions or special effects. Blue Jay is out now on Netflix. I highly recommend it.

Moonlight

Being a kid is tough. I can remember countless times running away from threatening bullies in the schoolyard; the teasing and name calling and feeling out of place. All of the lows that exist among the highs of an ice cream sundae or a bed time story. Moonlight, written and directed by Barry Jenkins, is the chronicle of an African American boy, who grows up in a culture that largely ostracizes him. He is struggling to find himself and where he fits in the world. This movie has profound wisdom to offer. In my opinion, it is the best movie of the year.

The first thing you notice about Moonlight is the authenticity. Everything about the setting and characters in the struggling suburb of Miami, Florida feels  genuine. The movie begins with an interaction between a drug pusher and his boss working the street. Their banter seems completely unscripted. The actors have mastered nuances of body language; the shuffle and sway of a life filled with hardship and fear. The film then makes a genius transition, with our adolescent main character Chrion running past these two men, with a group of boys chasing after him. The tone is set for the story that we are about to witness. This boy is an outsider. He is running from the other children who want to hurt him, and later in life he is running from himself.

Moonlight features an incredibly moving score, with a haunting and sorrowful theme that is reprised throughout the film. The music swells like waves on the beach that is a central part of the film. The ocean represents a kind of healing here. Something that Chiron goes back to at all stages of his life.

The cinematography by James Laxton, who has worked on a number of smaller budget films, is exquisite. Filmed in and around Miami Florida, the vibrant landscape fills you with a sense of anticipation. Palm trees sway in the glow of the moon. The ocean wraps around Juan and Chiron. The camera bobs up and down from under the waves. Green grass and asphalt simmer in the hot sun. You feel the heat of the place, as well as its isolation.

Each young man who plays Chiron throughout his life deserves to be nominated for best actor, including the adolescent Alex Hibbert, who could not have been more than 10 or 11 when the movie filmed. The role of Juan, played by the fantastic Mahershala Ali (you will recognize him from Netflix’s House of Cards and Luke Cage), is a beacon of hope for Chiron. His performance has already earned him a New York Critics Circle Vest Supporting Actor award. Juan shows Chiron kindness, compassion and acceptance that even his own mother can’t give. Not that Juan isn’t without his own demons; far from it in fact. This is another strength of the characters in the film. They are all flawed, struggling to find their own way in life.

As we see it, Chrion has only one peer befriend him throughout his life. Kevin is played by three different actors throughout the film as well. The story of Kevin and Chiron’s relationship culminates in a performance by the excellent Andre Holland. Holland has recently made a name for himself starring in 2014’s Selma, and many TV shows, including American Horror Story and The Knick.

Moonlight is a movie about love and yearning for acceptance. It is about feeling like an outsider and the struggle to stay true to yourself. These themes are deep and rich and alive in every frame of the movie. Rarely do movies tackle such broad subjects with the intimacy and skill exhibited here. No matter your age, gender, or sexual orientation you will connect with the struggles of Chiron in this immersive film.

Manchester By The Sea

Did you know that there’s a town in eastern Massachusetts literally called “Manchester By The Sea?” As a native New Englander, I am ashamed to say I did not know this town existed until seeing the excellent film of the same name, “Manchester By The Sea.”I was shocked to see the independent Chicago theater sold out for the Friday night show. Usually, when a movie has this much hype, I find myself let down after leaving the theater. I am happy to report this movie lived up to the hype and then some.

MBTS is a story of family, love and loss. We see the snowy Boston suburbs and Massachusetts small towns through the eyes of Lee,  a blue-collar handyman played by Casey Affleck with a depth of emotion rarely seen in male characters. I knew going into seeing this film that there is hype surrounding Casey Affleck’s performance, best actor nomination buzz aplenty. Casey was fantastic as Patrick in the 2007 film “Gone Baby Gone,” directed by his brother, Ben. Previously, I had considered that film to be his best performance. Now, as the sullen and protective Lee Chandler, he has done his best work as an actor to date. Every line he delivers with such authenticity, and you can read his emotion frequently without him having to say anything at all. He carries the heart of the film, and we’re rooting for him the whole way, through the hardships we watch him endure. Originally Matt Damon was pegged to play the role of Lee. While I think Matt is a very talented actor, I have to say that the younger Affleck brother turns in the performance of his career and I am happy he played the part.

The story plays a lot with time, bouncing from present to past back and forth between scenes in a genius stroke of editing by Jennifer Lame, who is a bright star up and coming in the editing world. She is the regular editor for the talented writer/director Noah Baumbach. Her work editing such films as “While We’re Young” and “Mistress America,” show a true talent for balancing the emotional weight of a story. She is one to watch.

Along with the expert way the editing of the story is crafted, MBTS also uses music and silence to great effect. Much of the score is strings, which bring a haunting depth to the chilly New England winter we’re witnessing (I would recommend you watch this film during the winter, as it’s much more immersive that way). Heightened emotional scenes lack any dialogue at all, at least that we can hear. Instead, characters speak on screen but no words are heard, and the beautiful score stands in as a fitting substitute. I tend to think that less is more when it comes to what you spell out to the audience in a movie, and MBTS nails this rule.

Nineteen year old Lucas Hedges stars in the other main role of the film, playing the nephew of Casey Affleck’s Lee. Researching Lucas, I found that he has had some smaller film and TV roles including a recurring role on the ABC television show “The Slap.” I do think that this will be his breakout film. He is excellent as a charming and wise Massachusetts high school student. His wit and heart shine in every scene. Comparisons can definitely be drawn to the performance a young Matt Damon gave in the Academy Award winning “Good Will Hunting.”

Michelle Williams is also excellent, as she usually is, embracing a great Boston accent to play the ex-wife of Affleck’s Lee. Her performance, along with Kyle Chandler’s (most recently known for his starring role on the Netflix series “Bloodlines”) as Lee’s older brother, are both grounded and full of depth. You really believe that you could visit Manchester By The Sea and these characters would be there, eating at the local diner, and fishing off the boats in the harbor.

If I have one criticism for this movie, it would be the puzzling casting of a big name star in a role that gets less than four minutes of screen time. When he appeared, the audience audibly remarked at the surprise pop in. The role is forgettable, and before you know it this actor is never seen or mentioned again. The casting choice ends up being more of a distraction and was not necessary for the part.

I have to mention that the film is written and directed by Kenneth Longergan, who first gained notoriety on the Hollywood scene for his 2000 small budget film “You Can Count On Me” starring a then unknown Mark Ruffalo and Laura Linney (If you have never seen it, I definitely recommend you go back and watch it). It’s clear from that film and MBTS that Kenneth knows how to write family dynamics extremely well. He crafts his characters to be real people with real reactions and real feelings. Nothing about his writing is forced or unnatural, and that is the best that a film script writer can hope to accomplish,

In conclusion, if you are looking for one of the best movie of the year, look no further than Manchester By The Sea. Great writing, performances and atmosphere pull you in, and you will not want the story of this emotionally compelling film to end.