Manchester by the Sea

[impala_chick]

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I'm on a movie-watching kick before my cinemax subscription expires :) Finally watched this movie. Definitely not at all what I expected. I really loved how this movie was not afraid to go into all the nitty gritty details of grief without glamorizing it. I thought Patrick really stole the show in a lot of ways, because on the one hand he knew his father would die someday, and he also wanted to be the masculine popular kid that everyone knew him to be, but on the other hand the pain he carries with him surprises him and overwhelms him sometimes. I really liked Patrick's relationship with Lee, and I like the way the film worked in the flashbacks. I definitely broke down a few times, but it wasn't all doom and gloom because of the teen band, and the boat, and the sweeping scenery. I didn't particularly fall for any of the characters though, which is probably why I wouldn't necessarily rewatch. I also didn't see the ending coming until it was upon me, and it felt abrupt. At first I was peeved by the unsatisfactory ending, but the more I think about it, the more I think that was very appropriate for the way the movie progressed. Grief comes and goes, and there can't be a total absolution of that grief for any of the characters. Simple in some ways, but masterful with details, is how I'll remember this one.