It is suitable for insomniacs to watch, anyway, they can't fall asleep!
Text / Yu Ming
"2016 is a movie year!"
Not only the domestic box office growth has slowed down, but most mainstream movies are following the trend or copying themselves, and there are very few works that get out of the shackles of genres and make people shine.
Even if you jump out of the country and look at the world, 2016 is still not a good harvest, especially after the announcement of the Oscar nominations for the strongest voice in the awards season, the "Xiao Nian" remarks are endless.
Although there is no benchmark work that shines through the ages, the good news is that the starry sky above is still shining brightly by many unique masterpieces.
Among the nine candidates for the Oscar for best picture, the Chinese people's eyes are mostly focused on "La La Land", which led the nominations with 14 and tied the film history record, "Moonlight", which set off the European and American commentary circles, and has logged on the domestic big screen. And the reputation is good in "Blood Battle Hacksaw Ridge" and "Arrival".
And there is a nominated movie that looks like a weird-tempered child who is deliberately avoided by the people who want to win the lottery in the Chinese New Year.
It is not as youthful, romantic and positive as "La La Land", not as poetic and fiery as "Moonlight Boy", its worldview is not as grand and profound as "Arrival", and its values are not as universal as "Blood Battle Hacksaw Ridge" to make people transcend beliefs moving.
It is too cold and too forbearing, the winter white snow can still soften under the sun, but the memories that have been accumulated for many years refuse to open; it is too hurt and too mourning, obviously there are many gags, but the sadness cannot be resolved.
It disregards the rules, disdains routines, and opposes all whitewashing; it allows the protagonist to fall into the quagmire, giving no hope and no way out.
But I have to admit that it still lives in its true colors, it is "Manchester by the Sea".
"Manchester by the Sea" rose to prominence at Sundance and fermented in Toronto. It has been nominated for six Oscars , including Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Actor, Supporting Actress, and Supporting Actor .
On the other hand, its classmate "The Birth of a Nation" was so dazzling when it was released at a record price at Sundance, but it was swept away in the awards season due to scandals and quality concerns. "Manchester by the Sea" has come to this point, relying on strength.
This is a story about how to get out of pain and resolve grief. The protagonist Lee (played by Casey Affleck) works as a cleaner and handyman in a Boston apartment building. His life is trivial, withdrawn, and has no emotional connection with the surrounding. After his brother became seriously ill and endangered, Li had to return to his long-lost hometown, but he was left with his brother's cold corpse and a rebellious nephew in adolescence.
Li, who is not good at socializing, hides his thoughts and is tired of dealing with all kinds of trivial funerals. What catches him even more is that in his will, his brother actually entrusts him as the guardian of his nephew. The nephew is unwilling to transfer schools. The place of his painful memories.
The nephew yells: "All my friends are here, I'm on the hockey team, the baseball team, I've got our boat repaired, I've got two girlfriends, I'm in the band, and you're just one of Quincy's Cleaner, why do you care where you live?" Why can't you stay with me in Manchester by the sea?
Manchester here does not refer to an industrial city in the United Kingdom, nor a prestigious football team, but a part of the town's name. The full name of Lee's hometown is the film title "Manchester by the Sea" (Manchester by the Sea), located in Boston, USA. The northeast, with a population of 5,000, is surrounded by the coast, the sea is soft, and the scenery is beautiful, but it is always a place that reminds Li of the unbearable pain.
The film unfolds under the mutual promotion of two clues. The bright line tells how Lee and his nephew are getting along with the adoption before and after the funeral, from estrangement to opening their hearts. The dark line traces Lee's sad past in Manchester by the sea through flashbacks. Slowly uncover why Li, who used to have a happy family and an optimistic heart, became so sad and lonely.
Through ingenious editing points, the film quietly transitions between two time and space, the sparkling sea in summer, the cold and bleak streets in winter, the joyous songs and laughter of the past, and the dead heart of today. Show how a man fell from heaven to hell, how deep in the mire, and how he couldn't get out of grief.
Yes, he did not come out of sadness!
Letting go of the past, revival of old love, and advent of new love, all the beautiful future that this poor man entrusted to this poor man during the filming process did not happen, and even the "most correct" return to family relationship failed in the end. Li did not take charge. The guardian of his nephew, but he was fostered in the house of an acquaintance, and he went to another country to continue wandering.
There is no so-called character arc, no Hollywood redemption with positive energy, and sadness flows into a river from beginning to end.
But it is also this kind of anti-dramatic choice that keeps the ups and downs of the characters' fate from being reduced to dog blood.
As a life-streaming movie, isn't this the truth? How can there be easy relief in the world? How can there be so many miracles in life?
As said in "Cinema Paradise", life is much harder than movies.
"Manchester by the Sea" is director Kenneth Lonergan 's third feature film. He has been nominated for Best Original Screenplay Oscar twice for "Gangs of New York" and "Please Come Closer to Me" . A high degree of affirmation for the story.
The film's producer, Matt Damon, has repeatedly said in public that he cried several times while reading the script. The choice ultimately fell to Casey Affleck, the younger brother of his friend Big Ben.
Unlike his older brother, Ben Affleck, who has a great reputation in blockbusters, his younger brother Casey Affleck has been honing his acting skills in low-budget literary films over the years.
Earlier, he was unknown in many business cards such as "Good Will Hunting". It was not until the release of his brother's directorial debut "Missing Baby" that Cassie attracted attention for his role as a private detective looking for children. Since then, the popular film "Death of the Sharpshooter" has brought him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and even Brad Pitt, a public lover, couldn't help worrying about being robbed of the limelight by him.
The success of "Manchester by the Sea" is largely due to Casey's performance. The sentimental tone of the film and the melancholy Lee coincide with Casey's experience and characteristics.
In the past, Li was energetic and enthusiastic, but now his heart is closed and he is isolated from thousands of miles away. The two extreme emotions are appropriately interpreted by Casey.
Especially the lonely Li, who was immersed in sadness. He was not good at words and had low air pressure. He became the chatterer with just a few words. However, the shaping of this strong personality avoids poisonous lines and distorted facial management.
Casey's performance was simplified to the utmost, there was no open and close body movements, it was purely "relying on the face to eat", and one face included all the joys and sorrows.
But you can clearly see that his body is still alive, but his soul has long been buried by the soaring fire, and his heart is frozen in that winter.
You can also clearly feel that he has isolated himself from the crowd on the surface, but he is struggling all the time.
It is easy to endure the outbreak, and it is easy to become facial paralysis if you are not careful. The words are full and the meaning is endless. The deep current under still water is the stormy sea.
With this role in hand, Cassie finally doesn't have to be shrouded in the shadow of his brother, he doesn't have to be called "another Affleck boy", but an actor named Cassie, a real actor.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Note: This article first published the public account "Fujii Tree Viewing Group" founded by senior film critic Fujii Tree
Please pay attention to the original public account of "Mu Fan" [The Phantom of the Opera] (ID: gejumeiying1)
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