Before I write this, a disclaimer: The performance of Manchester by the Sea wasn't the best for everyone, and it wasn't without flaws. The only thing I can say for sure is that the actors in the play are acting from the right point of view: that the character's character drives the action of the character in the play. Conversely, any action cannot deviate from the character's identity and character. As small as a subtle way of chewing food, a walking posture; as large as a character's reaction to an unexpected event, and a choice for a major event.
Marlon Brando once said about acting a disabled person who lost his legs: Acting is not about you imitating the behavior of the character, but about learning to think like the character. That is, you need to know what's going on in their minds, and then use that kind of thinking to drive what you say and do in the movie.
Manchester by the Sea is a typical example of this style of performance: all the actors need to do their part in the play and deal with what their characters are supposed to do (such as the protagonist Lee Chandler calling the funeral home, such as Patrick Jr. rehearses with the band, etc.). The characters only need to be themselves, and the best performance is to not perform. Here I will explain some of the details of the film's plot to the actors' performances:
"Lee Chandler's work at several clients' homes"
Here are the opening scenes of the movie. Those who have seen the film know that the main character, Lee Chandler, is a maintenance worker. The director had the actors deal with four different clients: a long-winded old man; a reasonable black woman; a vexatious young woman...
As for the role of these three scenes on the outbreak of the characters behind in the bar, and how to grasp the rhythm of the plot, this is what the director has to do. As for the actor, he only needs to fully understand his character, and then act according to his character and situation. Just react. We know after watching the whole movie: Lee Chandler has long lost his passion for life, he is just passing the time and avoiding memories. So, how should the maintenance scenes be played? Very simple, we see the actor's expressionless, godless, loving to the client and even the boss. This fits the character's character and situation.
In fact, the whole play Lee Chandler's performance is based on this tone, and nothing he says or does can be divorced from the fact that he regrets his mistakes, nor the fact that he escapes from life. fact. That's how he answers all the phone calls in the show, how he reacts to Patrick Jr.'s actions, and even the death of his own brother: dumb (he just wants to run away).
"A play of "bystanders" in a few small towns"
If you look at a director's attention to his film's performance, then look at the small roles (cut scenes). It can be said that the performance of any inconspicuous little character in "Manchester by the Sea" can make people taste it, and it is relish. How small is it: an extra, a passerby... Here we list a few:
★ "School Teacher":
Lee Chandler called his school teacher and asked where Pa was before he told Papa's father's death. In a simple phone scene, the two sides acted so realistically: the teacher did not know the news of Joe's death, and the two sides even solved the mobile phone signal problem; and another teacher came in and learned that it was Lee Chandler. We were even surprised (we later learned that many of the townspeople in Manchester were prejudiced against Lee Chandler).
(Mike Lee didn't even tell the actors the truth when directing "Secrets and Lies", letting the actors improvise under the unknown to achieve surprising real effects)
★ "Hockey Coach":
Likewise, Patrick Jr.'s hockey coach didn't know about Joe's death, and he didn't even know which Pa was Jr. You know, to play this coach role well, you don't need to cater to any plot, he just needs to regard himself as a coach. And what about the coach? Obviously: sternness, seriousness, tone, etc. is what he should do. Therefore, we saw his reaction after learning that Papa's father passed away: he just stepped forward and touched Papa's arm with his gloves; when Papa asked to return to the team for training, he did not comply with his emotional needs and did what the coach should do. thing.
★ "Testament Lawyer":
Also ignorant of the will is the will lawyer: according to common sense, he only needs to hand over the deceased Joe's will to Lee Chandler and it will be done. Who knows that Joe has done so without consulting Lee Chandler in advance. The decision to be a guardian. Now the lawyer is also confused and at a loss. Let's look at the lawyer's performance (or reaction):
That's right, the lawyer's reaction was that he was confused, and there was no line. Because he didn't know what to say.
★ "Passers-by":
Finally, let's look at the passer-by in blue clothes (Note: The passer-by in blue clothes is played by the director himself)
We can imagine that the passer-by is from this small town, imagine that he may have heard the rumor about Lee Chandler, that the passer-by might recognize that it was Lee Chandler. It doesn't matter, the most important thing is that there are not many people in this town who understand Lee Chandler's inner state. As a bystander, without knowing it, I saw an adult on the road pointing at a minor child and scolding, and anyone else would be indignant, so the passerby made a reasonable and reasonable response.
The above plots seem so natural and reasonable that we once forget that we are watching a movie and think that what is in front of us is real. And the credit for this feeling lies in the hidden performances of the actors.
"Little Patrick's Show"
Regarding young Patrick's performance, don't say that he will be heartbroken after seeing his father's body; not to mention that he will be jealous of his mother's divorce; not to mention that he will have a hard time in the funeral church... You know, that's all acting! In reality, he is still a 16-year-old middle school student after all. Even if the sky falls, all his performances should be in line with his age and the environment he is in. Let's take a look at his acting reaction in the play:
On the night of his father's death, of course, Papa must be in a bad mood. But if you call a few classmates, you will forget your troubles while talking and laughing;
His father's body turned his head and left without even looking at it. There was not a single tear at the funeral, but he burst into tears because he couldn't bear the fact that his father's body was put in the "refrigerator" for the winter;
At the farewell mass, he even thought about answering his girlfriend's phone call, didn't care about his father's will at all (sitting outside and playing with his cell phone), and after his father died, he was all thinking about saving money to buy a sailing engine...
He would ask his uncle for money to buy popsicles in the winter, he would pick up a stick from the ground and pull the railing, he would ask if Uncle Li likes music from a certain band on the way to the lawyer...etc
Yes, for those who haven't experienced life and death separation, Patrick Jr.'s performance in the movie seems a little unfriendly. However, it is infinitely close to reality: a normal person will mostly have no reaction to things like birth, aging, sickness and death. Even pain will be revealed little by little in the trivial matters of life in the future, and it will not even appear. It's in the heart of the character. Just like Lee Chandler.
Looking at the movie "Manchester by the Sea", he can win the Oscar and the best actor in the Golden Globe, which is naturally well-deserved, but I don't think it's enough! Because all the people involved in the performance of the whole film have achieved the consistency of the performance direction. This direction is a kind of direction similar to "method school" performance. It is closer to the true nature of the characters, closer to realism.
If a person's performance makes you not feel that he is "acting", or even forget to perform, that is the best performance!
Written by: Taixu Palace This article belongs to the original, reprinting is prohibited, please contact [Friday Literature and Art] for cooperation
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