Since a tragic event destroyed him, Lee Chandler leads a dark and lonely life in Boston. When his older brother Lee dies, he returns to his hometown to look after his nephew, Patrick, who has been abandoned by his mother for years. As he tries to find a place in the community, Lee is haunted by his demons...

Picture gallery

Manchester by the Sea is purely a Casey Affleck vehicle. From the first to the last scene, the actor’s face hypnotizes, captivates, subtly transmitting the pain and depth of this lost man. Director Kenneth Lonergan gained notice with You Can Count on Me and Margaret, starring Anna Paquin, although the latter has yet to be released due to a stormy production. Here he stays within the genre of melodrama, with a story about broken families strongly anchored in a social landscape. The success of Manchester by the Sea is less due to its conventional plot than to its quiet strength. The fine storytelling, exploding between the present and the past, contributes to its quality and grace. The result is a jewel of a role for Casey Affleck, which he hasn’t had since The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. A silent and powerful melodrama.