One of the reasons I love movies so much is because they allow me to experience worlds that I otherwise couldn't. This is especially true for films that create imaginary worlds filled with things that aren't real. But even if the world feels familiar and is close to the world in which we live in, there is often a fantasy or dream that would otherwise be unobtainable. And then there are movies like Manchester by the Sea. Movies that feel so excruciatingly real that they don't just remind us of the struggles we face every day, but they make us think about them, face them. Now, some might ask, why would you want to watch a film that reminds us of some of the worst moments of our lives when you could instead by on an exhilarating and epic space adventure? It's a fair question, but I think that this film, Manchester by the Sea, answers that question perfectly.
I recently went through something similar with the passing of my grandma. And indeed, anyone who has ever lost a family member, or anyone close to them for that matter, can relate to this movie in a brutally honest way. From the very beginning, this film captures the realness of life. Doing the same menial tasks just get by. Dealing with people you'd rather never see again. It's a film that anyone can relate to. It's a film that doesn't try and sugarcoat anything. Nor does it try to dramatize anything either. It's a film that shows the lives of people that could very well be real. But it isn't until the passing of a family member, that this film turns into one that feels almost too familiar. The remainder of the movie, and in this case the majority of it, explores the process of grieving. It explores the difficulty of it. And by painting a picture that doesn't even feel like a movie, it manages to do so in a way that is impossible not to relate to. The characters are, of course, crucial in this pursuit, and by making them so spectacularly normal, Manchester by the Sea makes it seem like I'm simply watching the lives of ordinary people. There is a constant sense of realness that I have never experienced in a movie before. It is, without a doubt, one of its main strengths, but oddly enough, it also feels like a weakness. Maybe it's just due to the fact that I have been through a similar process so recently, that this film just felt, almost in a way, too normal. It didn't feel like anything new, nor did it evoke any new feelings. It just felt like life. Real life. There is no denying that this film is gut-wrenching, but then again, it should be. In fact, having heard how emotionally difficult this film is, I had dreaded watching it. Yet, by the time it finished, I almost felt at peace. For me, it acted as a reminder that it's all part of life. The ups, and the downs. Had I not had a similar experience so recently, perhaps this would've been a much more difficult film to get through. However, as is, I simply found myself flowing through the experiences and the feelings, in a way that felt eerily familiar.
Now, Manchester by the Sea is, as mentioned, brutally real and honest in its depiction of life. It moves slowly and deliberately, finding joy in the little things, and struggling with everything else. It's a film that leaves a lingering effect, staying on your mind, affecting you. It doesn't leave you with a great big realization at the end, nor does it give you a sense of joy or sadness. It merely leaves you with your thoughts. Reflecting on your own experiences. And that is where its power and impact truly lies. While it is a difficult film to get through, it also reminds us of the good things in life. It reminds us of how life always moves forward, even at times when it feels like it shouldn't. And it's because of this, that I think that Manchester by the Sea answers the question of why movies like it are needed. It doesn't try to manipulate us in any way, it just presents life as it is.
There is something beautifully special about this film. I won't be watching it again any time soon, but I don't think I need to. It's going to be one that will stay with me for a long time. And while it might seem instinctive that it's the feeling of sorrow and pain that lingers on, I find myself clinging to those small bits of joy, that are sprinkled around us. And as I cling on to them, I, oddly enough, find myself at peace with the challenges and struggles that life, evidently, throws at us.
I recently went through something similar with the passing of my grandma. And indeed, anyone who has ever lost a family member, or anyone close to them for that matter, can relate to this movie in a brutally honest way. From the very beginning, this film captures the realness of life. Doing the same menial tasks just get by. Dealing with people you'd rather never see again. It's a film that anyone can relate to. It's a film that doesn't try and sugarcoat anything. Nor does it try to dramatize anything either. It's a film that shows the lives of people that could very well be real. But it isn't until the passing of a family member, that this film turns into one that feels almost too familiar. The remainder of the movie, and in this case the majority of it, explores the process of grieving. It explores the difficulty of it. And by painting a picture that doesn't even feel like a movie, it manages to do so in a way that is impossible not to relate to. The characters are, of course, crucial in this pursuit, and by making them so spectacularly normal, Manchester by the Sea makes it seem like I'm simply watching the lives of ordinary people. There is a constant sense of realness that I have never experienced in a movie before. It is, without a doubt, one of its main strengths, but oddly enough, it also feels like a weakness. Maybe it's just due to the fact that I have been through a similar process so recently, that this film just felt, almost in a way, too normal. It didn't feel like anything new, nor did it evoke any new feelings. It just felt like life. Real life. There is no denying that this film is gut-wrenching, but then again, it should be. In fact, having heard how emotionally difficult this film is, I had dreaded watching it. Yet, by the time it finished, I almost felt at peace. For me, it acted as a reminder that it's all part of life. The ups, and the downs. Had I not had a similar experience so recently, perhaps this would've been a much more difficult film to get through. However, as is, I simply found myself flowing through the experiences and the feelings, in a way that felt eerily familiar.
Now, Manchester by the Sea is, as mentioned, brutally real and honest in its depiction of life. It moves slowly and deliberately, finding joy in the little things, and struggling with everything else. It's a film that leaves a lingering effect, staying on your mind, affecting you. It doesn't leave you with a great big realization at the end, nor does it give you a sense of joy or sadness. It merely leaves you with your thoughts. Reflecting on your own experiences. And that is where its power and impact truly lies. While it is a difficult film to get through, it also reminds us of the good things in life. It reminds us of how life always moves forward, even at times when it feels like it shouldn't. And it's because of this, that I think that Manchester by the Sea answers the question of why movies like it are needed. It doesn't try to manipulate us in any way, it just presents life as it is.
There is something beautifully special about this film. I won't be watching it again any time soon, but I don't think I need to. It's going to be one that will stay with me for a long time. And while it might seem instinctive that it's the feeling of sorrow and pain that lingers on, I find myself clinging to those small bits of joy, that are sprinkled around us. And as I cling on to them, I, oddly enough, find myself at peace with the challenges and struggles that life, evidently, throws at us.