For a couple of years the Oscars have always had an indie outsider running for Best Picture and this year that honour falls to Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea. Does Casey Affleck have the chops to take Best Actor from Denzel Washington? Can Manchester by the Sea beat Moonlight and La La Land to be this year Best Picture? Let's dig in.
Matt Damon was originally going to direct and act in Manchester by the Sea but passed it onto his friends Casey Affleck to star in and Kenneth Lonergan to write and direct. I believe it was a great choice 'cause Lonergan imbues Manchester with dry wit which the guys from the Savannah cider ads would kill for.
Lonergan is able to create raw human emotions and almost life-like dialogue, and shows that he too can play with story narrative structure like a master. Throw in a subtle but great performance by Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams (oh my how she's grown from the Dawson Creek days) and you have the Oscar buzz.
But is the Oscar buzz legit? As far as the performances go, I think Casey Affleck is cool but I don't think it's anything new from what he did in Gone Baby Gone. Michelle Williams has upped her game but is it good enough to beat Viola Davis' crying and swallowing her own tears and mucus in Fences? I think not.
Yet I think it is a front runner for Best Picture with La La land and Moonlight because the story is damn good. Grief is a hard topic to tackle, especially in our navel gazing times where adults prefer pubescent superhero movies "where everything is awesome" and the tone is very light.
This film tackles grief in an honest yet funny way if you can get into its humour, without becoming whimsical about a not-so-whimsical theme. It succeeds in creating a window into a life, in showing us a truth about life whilst entertaining us with a very sad topic.
It reminds us of the power of family, love and moving on whilst also showing the limits of love, family and moving on. It's one of my favourite movies for 2016 and if it does get the Best Picture, I wouldn't complain even though it's not for everyone.
Rating
*****
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* Rubbish **it needs aromat ***ja nee **** Almost Perfect *****Instant Classic
Links to my other 2017 Oscars Best Picture reviews:
The Arrival
Hidden Figures