I am a little conflicted about Manchester by the Sea and maybe i need to give it another viewing. I love a slow burner, full of conversation and endings that go nowhere and as a father myself i can fully empathize with the main characters. I mean what could be worse than what Lee and Randi go through.. Was the lack of on screen grieving the premise for us viewers to feel numb like our on screen characters ? Were we supposed to root for them and hope life starts to treat them more kindly - i for one didn't. I just felt numb and maybe that was the point.
I felt the pain during the house fire scene, the combination of Barber's, Adagio for Strings during such a traumatic event really pulled at me also when Lee and Randi meet in the street, well the flood gates almost opened but thankfully Lee ran away from the conversation and this grown man was saved from embarrassing himself in the cinema, the other side of me wanted to be a blubbering wreck , i wanted to see Lee's breakdown and maybe his breakthrough but would that be a bit too melodramatic and soap opera like....but still something was lacking and i can't quite put my finger on it.
I mean Casey Affleck has been doing this kind of acting for years - i am not being critical, he was fantastic - i am just saying this is the way he acts in most films - he is inaudible and moody so the casting was perfect . Oscar worthy i don't know . I'll let you know once i have watched the other nominees.