What a film!
I loved it, slow paced, well written, shot excellently, edited and acted superbly.
No annoying in scene music for no reason or filler needed to pad it out. I watched it and really felt for the characters. Real people trying hard just to get through life, making mistakes and then having to live with the consequences.
The plot doesn’t give too much away and the tension builds and dissipates like the ocean some of the scenes are set on.
You know something has happened to Lee to make him the way he is but I didn’t guess exactly what until the story unfolded as the director, Kenneth Lonergan, intended.
Be aware, it’s a tearjerker. I am not the most macho person anyways but from the first ten minutes I needed tissues…for my eyes.
I thought the two main characters Lee and his nephew Patrick were portrayed brilliantly by Casey Affleck and Lucas Hedges, respectively.
I really felt like I understood Lee’s point of view, his whole world changed and attempting to adapt but the demons of his past life refusing to let him go.
Patrick, 16 years old, is focused on what most teenagers usually are: sex, music and good times plus the necessary eater of adolescent fun, school.
How many people can relate to the tangential story lines? On paper Lee’s older brother’s plan is perfect but in reality people are not one dimensional. Perfect plans don’t really work off the page for imperfect people…
Lee and Patrick pull in their own directions whilst anyone who comes into contact with them together or separately has their own approach to coping, offering support or just ignoring what is happening.
Go and see it if you like thoughtful, well paced and intelligent films that leave you feeling like you have seen a gem.
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