The Union Dry Dock property in Hoboken is for sale, and the Fund for a Better Waterfront hopes to turn it into a public park. Here is my article from hMAG.com on their petition drive.
Movie Review: Wonder Woman
3.5 stars out of 5
I was 6 years old when Wonder Woman hit TV screens. I never thought, “Oh, how progressive of me, I’m watching a female superhero.” We just watched it. Everybody watched it. There weren’t that many channels.
Life is seemingly more complicated now, second-guessed, over-analyzed. Were they–The Man–purposely not doing enough advance marketing for the Wonder Woman movie? Sabotaging it from the get-go? Later, were female-only screenings part of some global anti-male conspiracy? Would the film serve as an Unstoppable Feminist Indoctrination for impressionable young viewers? It was an awful lot for Wonder Woman to carry on her bare, well-toned shoulders.
When all is said-and-done, it’s just a movie, and a pretty entertaining one at that. And yes, potentially quite empowering for girls in the crowd, which is always a good thing. (Sorry for the mansplaining.)
That the film doesn’t beat you over the head with its girl-power theme is one of its strengths. Message flows naturally from the story: Wonder Woman is from an all-female society, so she’s genuinely confused and annoyed by restrictions placed on women in World War I-era England. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself. We first see young Diana growing up among the Amazon women on Themyscira, which I believe is just upstream from the Isle of Lesbos.
Superhero movies often get bogged down in origin stories (We don’t care!! Put on the suit and start fighting crime already!), but Themyscira is a pretty compelling place. Diana is the daughter of Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), leader of the Amazons (after deposing Jeff Bezos). Robin Wright, looking (w)right fit, plays Hippolyta’s sister Antiope. A pretty funny aspect of the early going is that, because grown-up Diana is played by Israeli actress Gal Gadot, Nielsen and Wright are forced to do these quasi-Israeli accents. I’m sure that’s totally natural on Themyscira. Anyway, it’s Aunty Antiope who’s charged with training Diana to be a warrior princess.
During these training sequences, director Patty Jenkins shows her adeptness at crisply, cleanly filmed action — too often not the case in superhero flicks. I was particularly impressed by the judicious use of slow motion.
Gal Gadot shows up and oh what a Gal she is. Breathtakingly beautiful, and more than believable as a wondrous woman.
Chris Pine — as American spy for British Intelligence Steve Trevor (hey, that was Lyle Waggoner’s name in the old Lynda Carter series!) — washes ashore and Diana is all, “Oooh, a maaaaaaan!” They leave the secret island to fight Germans and to fulfill Diana’s destiny of killing Ares, God of War.
Pine is solid. (Eh, eh?) Haven’t seen Danny Huston since American Horror Story: season whatever, but he’s basically a stock German baddie here. He’s in charge of an evil female chemist who has the best partial mask since good ol’ Half-a-Face in Boardwalk Empire. I instantly identified David Thewlis from voice alone, proving what an impression he’s made on me in the current Fargo. And great to see an almost unrecognizable Lucy Davis, Dawn from the original Office, in a small but fun role.
Steve assembles a ragtag team (yawn, a marksman, an American-Indian dude, another guy, unmemorable all) and Diana leads them into battle. It’s here, emerging from the trenches, where Gadot truly shines and the film reaches its peak. I no longer thought of her as a female superhero but simply as a hero. It was bracing.
Unfortunately, the movie loses steam from this point on, and meanders toward a boilerplate good-vs-evil showdown. It’s probably 20 minutes too long. And the colors don’t stray much from DC’s standard dour palette. I place all blame on Zack “Hack” Snyder, a producer and one of three with a story credit.
Still, I’ll happily watch a sequel. And will readily admit to getting a sick thrill from seeing a Jewish actress preemptively and inglouriously kick German ass.
Movie Review: Alien — Covenant
4 stars out of 5
I’ve had so much weird stuff come out of my abdomen in the past many months, it felt like I was starring in my own personal Alien sequel. But my interest in the actual series was re-sparked this winter when my friend Patrick rented Prometheus. It was much better than I’d expected. So with O.G. Alien director Ridley Scott once again on board, and events picking up 10 years post-Prometheus, I was excited for Alien: Covenant.
Michael Fassbender returns from Prometheus as the robot David, and also as a newer model, Walter. Now, between this, Fargo, Twin Peaks, that new Cate Blanchett movie, and this week’s Leftovers, the “same actor playing multiple parts” thing is getting a little played out. But Fassbender is fun to watch and I did enjoy his American accent.
Walter is aboard the good ship Prometheus, off to colonize a distant planet. But they happen upon a much closer, mystery planet that has a sign reading, “If You Colonized Here, You’d Already Be Home.” So the crew decides to check it out. Danny McBride and two others stay on the Prometheus, while captain Billy Crudup and an exploratory team take a lander down to the surface. They includes gentle Katherine “Sam’s Daughter” Waterson, who has experienced a recent loss but better toughen up quick if she’s to be compared to other strong female characters in the Alien series, and Demián Bichir, who I enjoyed very much on TV’s The Bridge but gets almost nothing to do here. Jim Gaffigan is not in this movie but he is in Chuck, which I forgot to mention.
On the planet they find David and, you guessed it… aliens.
Ridley Scott is still at the top of his game directing futuristic action. This is tense, edge-of-your-seat, totally fun filmmaking. Theme-wise, there’s nothing really earth-shattering here — God complex, technology out of control, etc. — but who cares? Settle in and have a good time.
If you insist, I’ll make a couple of tiny gripes. Two characters are exploring the terrain and one says “I gotta go take a leak.” You just know he’s going to bite it. Come on, Ridley, you can do better. Also, for these extry-long space journeys, they’ve got those cryo-sleep-pod thingies. And there’s a little readout on the glass saying who’s inside. Well, Danny McBride’s says “Tennessee,” which I’m pretty sure is his character’s nickname. I think an official Planet Earth Colony Vessel would be a tad more formal.
All in all, it’s a highly entertaining film which I’ll rate slightly above Rogue One in movies that share the same spot in the timeline just prior to late-1970s sci-fi classics.
Album Review: &’s by Higgins
4 stars out of 5
Allow them to reintroduce themselves, their name is H to the I to the double-G, I to the N to the S. It’s been five years since Higgins’ last release, Straight A’s. Now, the duo of Kevin P. Fish and drummer Brian Kantor has returned to once again show off their melodicism and musicianship.
While &’s doesn’t yet have a physical release, I’d have to imagine side 1 would be subtitled Vocals while side 2 would be Instrumentals (though, knowing Higgins, the sides would likely be named after random, individual letters or punctuation). The 8-track album, the band’s fourth long-player, is indeed split right down the middle. The keyboard-and drum-driven “You Don’t Think It’s Real” kicks things off in pleasing mid-tempo form, while a little psychedelic freakout at the end hints at things to come. And come they do in the mellower “Older,” with Fish’s relaxed vocals taking you someplace where it’s always Sunday morning. “I Would Never” is classic McCartney-esque Higgins. But the album’s centerpiece is the joyous “The Problem Solver,” recorded by hirsute wonderboy Josh Kaufman, who also plays bass on three of the first four tunes.
The instrumental half of the album begins with the energetic “Howe Could You,” which sounds like the theme song to a lost 70s private-eye show. “Variations on a Hostile Guitar” calms things down again, featuring a not-at-all-hostile acoustic guitar. (Spoiler alert: Kantor doesn’t enter the fray for about 90 seconds, with a gentle marching beat.) Want to get mellower still? Enter “Like Real Friends,” riding a synth-flute line provided by Andy Gonzales of Elephant 6 favorites Marshmallow Coast. Closing out the album is “Digging Out Again (More Glugging).” It lulls you into a false sense of security with soothing “ahhhhh”s and “da-da-da”s before transforming in the final 2 minutes, 45 seconds into bracing futuristic sounds straight out of Joe Meek’s Telstar playbook.
Ably produced by the worth-a-Google Travis Harrison and the aforementioned Mr. Fish, &’s is another delightful offering from Higgins. Let’s hope they don’t make us wait half a decade for the next one.
Movie Review: Chuck
3.5 stars out of 5
No, there isn’t a big-screen version of the old NBC spy-comedy that I never watched. Here, the titular Chuck refers to the real-life Chuck Wepner who maybe inspired the fictional Rocky Balboa. As I’ve lived in Hoboken, Wepner has been in my consciousness for over two decades. My initial exposure was a black-and-white photo hung on the wall of Piccolo’s, my regular Saturday lunch spot. The photo caption truly amused me: “The Bayonne Bleeder.” Within a few years, I met Mr. Wepner at a fundraiser here in town. Years after that, in Montclair, I met the brother of filmmaker Jeff Feurzeig. Jeff already had my great respect for directing the documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston; I learned that he was making a documentary for ESPN about Chuck Wepner.
I kind of wish Jeff Feurzeig had directed this, because though it’s a good film, something is definitely missing. (Feurzeig is credited as one of the four screenwriters, I imagine helping to keep things fact-based.) It is a well-made film, with quality period details — at the story’s beginning, it certainly feels like 1974.
And the cast is top-notch. Liev Schreiber (also a co-writer) once again displays his versatility, capturing Wepner’s “Bayonne-ness” without turning it into a cartoon. I was happy to see Elisabeth Moss, channeling a Jersey girl as the long-suffering first Mrs. Wepner. Naomi Watts, Schreiber’s real-life ex, ably plays supportive lover #2. Ron “Hellboy” Perlman gets to sprinkle his dialogue with Yiddishisms as Jewish Boxing Manager Guy. And good to see Michael “Superboy” Rapaport, albeit in a very small role as Wepner’s brother.
So, what is missing here? Although Wepner’s story is one worth telling, ultimately the film lacks emotional resonance. Or maybe I’m just annoyed that it wasn’t shot in Bayonne. In any case, with a little more effort, this movie coulda been a contender.
The Wit and Wisdom of Lee Israel, Vol. 7 (May 2012)
I try to post these more often than, you know, every 11 months, but medical and then technological difficulties kept me away from my stash of electronic correspondence with Lee Israel. Since we were last here, Melissa McCarthy was spotted in New York, dressed as Lee, as filming finally began on Can You Ever Forgive Me? Very soon after, she unveiled her wicked impression of press secretary Sean Spicer on Saturday Night Live. Can we thank Lee for McCarthy being in New York at just the right time?
Now we turn the clock back five years, to May 2012. At the end of our previous installment, Lee had told me that a parody of hers had been accepted by the New Yorker, after which I congratulated her. We begin this batch of emails with Lee’s reply to me, in late April….
4/25/12, 2:14 pm
Of course this means that we can no longer socialize …Seriously, I do have a problem with Julius’. There are so many damaged people there…See you soon Lee
5/2/12, 7:48 pm
[After I’d passed along an opportunity to edit a Ph.D. candidate’s dissertation:]
several
Jack I’ve been in touch with the PhD candidate. She and I will be working together when the paper is finished, in June. Good. I need the work and I’m grateful to you…Kilgallen re-optioned. More money. Less needy. But still not Doris Duke. Or even that cunt Nora Ephron. David went to a dinner party at her house. She has three fireplaces;.I have an old stove. See you soon? Lee
5/3/12, 9:41 am
{After I agreed to meet up:]
Let’s do it tonight (sounds sexy) at Julius’. Yes, Julius’. Get back to me asap Lee
12:28 pm
[Replying to my email with plans for getting together with our friend Jim that evening:]
Works for me. What time at Julius’? We’re not talking to Ray…I would like to have your phone number please Lee
5/7/12, 3:21 pm
Lee Israel sos (son of sam)
Jack I’m gonna look for the tel number you sent me. Meantime, call or email back. I’m having a technical problem with the copy sent to me by our PhD candidate. I only do PDF and that shakily. Maybe I can have her send it to you? Anyhow I alerted her. Get back to me if you’re there, please. lee
3:32 pm
SOS
Call me at 212-XXX-XXXX or email. I lost your telephone number. Lee
4:23 pm
She just emailed that she would convert it to PDF…Don’t sweat it… I have funny stories to tell when we meet. My problem with “browser” is odd. I don’t think it sounds like what it is in the way that an orange is an orange … I have a PC. But that’s not written anywhere so how would I know.
5/8/12, 10:45 am
Monday Monday
You were great to me yesterday. Thanks. Everything is working I think but I don’t know that the messages folded into the downtime ever arrived …About “bless you” outside the sneeze frame, I heard someone say that to Bill Maher (sp) and then apologize.
11:37 am
Note from Steve
OK now. I needed the color cartridge (almost said ribbon)…So far this has cost me almost eighty dollars…Again, bless you. But now you are in big trouble. I’ll be calling you with all my computer problems—– and they are considerable Steve (Jobs)
12:59 pm
I fixed it…Finally I am set to work. …She’s no Susan Sontag.
5/9/12, 4:25 pm
… but very interesting
Hi Jack Our PhD candidate is a horrible writer. Do they pay attention to style? Well, style is thought to some extent; and, worse, her topic is communication.She’s asked me to do punctuation and I can do that. I’ll do my best. and I’ m so glad to have the work. She and I are finally over my technical problems.I’ll learn to do the PDF stuff. .. A woman from India, probably making two dollars an hour, helped me install some corrupted software so that I could watch movies., such intelligence. I want to have her to dinner…What man would have said, “You can do this, Lee., and I will help you.” Lee
5/23/12, 7:27 pm
i could cry
i wish they’d stop showing his parents. It’s so painful! lee
9:05 pm
Baseball
If you read my last after the fact, you would have had not a clue. Tallulah
5/24/12, 2:08 am
A lot of Tallulahs were named after a waterfall in Georgia –something like that. It’s in my book….Let’s take him out, of course [our friend Jim, for his birthday] …Almost had a problem with the doctoral candidate and her mother. Tell you about it when I see you. Don’t worry. It was resolved and they are very, very apologetic. I don’t think they had any idea what the project would cost them..And I couldn’t’ have known either. .The baseball thing had to do with pitcher Will Smith’s major league debut and failing in front of his parents, who looked crestfallen..or crust fallen, as they say about dandruff sufferers… Let’s all get together soon..I have a very full plate and also a lot to do. That’s a joke….Lee
5/30/12, 4:06 pm
various
What’s up? …The PhD candidate, who oddly signs her name Dr., is to receive my edited manuscript tomorrow ..Hope she thinks it is worth the money..–When do we drink again? I’ve been very productively occupied, but now I’m a bit at liberty. P.S. Are you interested in investing in a business to provide wake-up calls to Yankee fans on days such as this? [The team had played a late game in Anaheim.] Lee
8:30 pm
[Regarding the still-in-negotiations movie based on her memoir and the first director attached to it:]
Fw: Re: Projects
Jack. I know you are gonna love this. Now you are in trouble. I am using you in a deal. Ha ha. Read on. Signed The Hollywood Shadow (aka Lee Israel)
From: Lee Israel
Subject: Re: Projects
To: David
Date: Wednesday, May 30, 2012, 8:26 PM
David Always good to take notes. And I am honored to be included. But I don’t understand why Balaban’s participation is now so relevant when it was just you and me contractually under the old contract negotiated by Lana Cantrell, the singer. I certainly don’t want Bob to make an entrance making rude demands, because then I would have to pull out. In any case. … I am leaving for for Mexico on 11 June, courtesy of my friend Jack Silbert. He has a house there and a darling pool and the trip is on him, except for the air fare. I’d like to have this settled, one way or the other, before I make plans to join him. I wouldn’t mind keeping Kilgallen, indemnifying me in my very old age. The interest in her, thank heavens, never seems to flag. … Lee
5/31/12, 4:25 pm
We’ve closed the deal. So, regretfully, I no longer need you or your hacienda or your stupid pool or your out-of-control, bandito-infested, refried country. ..
• Volume 1: 2005–6
• Volume 2: 2007–8
• Volume 3: 2009
• Volume 4: 2010
• Volume 5: 2011
• Volume 6: Apr. 2012
Movie Review: Obit.
4 stars out of 5
Some people call me the Grim Reaper. (Some call me the Gangster of Love.) And all because I have a habit of posting death notices of prominent people on Facebook. That’s the public me. But in private, I’ve long enjoyed reading obituaries, specifically in the New York Times. A longtime pre-gym ritual for me has been printing out interesting articles from the day’s paper, and then reading them during my workout. The obituaries section has always been one I’ve checked. Favorite famous people, sure, but the best ones have been people I didn’t know a thing about, who had led fascinating lives. So Obit, a documentary about the Times‘ obituary department, seemed like the perfect movie for me. It did not disappoint.
We learn that the obituaries desk was traditionally the “graveyard” for older reporters who they didn’t want to fire. And though that’s apparently no longer the case, it was interesting to see that — excuse me again — the skeleton crew portrayed in the film were primarily veteran Times staffers, moved from other departments.
The movie, almost entirely filmed on December 10, 2014, effectively conveys the importance of, ugh, deadlines. (Sorry.) The reporters come in to work having no idea who they’ll be writing about. Some subjects will politely die in the morning, giving the writer all day to craft the obit. Other news doesn’t reach them till the afternoon. Regardless, most obituaries have to be in by 6 p.m. (7:30 or 8 for a major death).
Reporters tend to be caring, thoughtful people, and this is very true for the obituaries staffers we meet. I suppose Bruce Weber is the “star” of the movie in terms of screen time. We see him conducting phone interviews with the deceased’s family members, striving to get the facts right. He comes across as a real mensch, and a bit of a lovable schlub. There’s Margalit Fox, explaining how obits have gotten less sedate over the decades, and how they’ll get more diverse in the future. Bill McDonald is the department head and seems like a good guy but you definitely know he’s the boss, from his demeanor and his attire. Paul Vitello, struggling to write a lead worthy of the ad man he’s profiling, oozes humanity. William Grimes, who always makes me think about “Grimey” from The Simpsons, delivers what is perhaps the film’s best line, regarding his profession: “It’s a once-only chance to make the dead live again.”
Another star of Obit is Jeff Roth, the sole remaining employee down in “The Morgue.” (Again with the death words!) This is the repository of clip files and photographs from the vast history of the Times, especially useful for obituary writers. He’s funny, down-to-earth, totally dedicated to his job, and is in many ways the heart of the film.
In the credits, we get an Animal House-esque rundown of the statuses of people we’ve seen. I was sad to learn that a few are now former Times employees. Early in the film, we hear that there were already “very few” people who do this work. So I truly hope that attrition and ever-changing media tastes don’t… ok one more… kill the Times’ obit desk. But if ever it does happen, this documentary will serve as a fine remembrance.
Hallucination #1: Harry Connick Jr.
Memories of the first seven weeks of my lengthy hospitalization range from spotty to non-existent. However, a series of vivid hallucinations during this period — end of August to mid-October, 2016 — are crystal clear in my mind. It’s likely I was suffering from a condition known as “ICU psychosis,” though other factors are certainly possible.
I’m not sure if these hallucinations occurred while I slept, though sometimes I did interact with confused and/or worried people in my room. Nevertheless, these “fever dreams,” laced with my own neuroses, allowed me to escape the difficult setting and situation I was in, and for that I am grateful. I intend to share some of them from time to time, starting now.
I had a ticket to a Yankees game, and had to leave Hoboken University Medical Center to get there. (In reality, my friend Steve and I have had a mini ticket plan at Yankee Stadium for many years, and yes, I was missing games while being hospitalized.) No, I was told, you cannot leave the hospital. I argued that I was there voluntarily, and this was no different than a family member taking a patient out for the day. I would go to the game and come right back. This convinced the staffer I was speaking with, and I was permitted to go.
Easing my journey to the South Bronx was a newly constructed walking path between Hoboken and Manhattan. Sweet! I’d stroll over and catch an uptown subway. Ah, but as I got partway across, who did I spy heading the opposite direction but Mr. Harry Connick Jr. himself. (Now, why, you might ask, did the once-young musician and actor appear in my hallucination? Am guessing this was caused by a spate of commercials on the hospital TV promoting his new daytime talk show.) I overheard him saying he was going to New Jersey to see an old jazz legend. “I hope I can find him, and that he’s still alive. I haven’t seen him in years!” I knew music; I knew Jersey; I could help Harry Connick Jr. track down his friend. But I did have that Yankee game to attend. I glanced at my watch — there was plenty of time until the game. Connick, here I come!
Except now he was surrounded by publicists and the like, and I couldn’t get a word in edgewise. So I figured I’d just tag along — he was now headed in the wrong direction — until I could offer my assistance. At one point we were test-driving a Toyota they wanted him to promote. All I could think was we were getting farther and farther away from where we needed to be. No need to worry, there was still lots of time before first pitch. (Why did I head out so early? Another note: This fantasy may be the last confirmed sighting of my watch. It would make cameos in other hallucinations, with me asking, “Is that my watch?” And it wouldn’t be. Back in real life, I thought my watch might be on the floor of my bathroom, but it hasn’t turned up since I’ve been home. I love that watch.)
Suddenly I had my chance. We were at a crossroads in the walkway, where I would be veering off to head to the Stadium. But first Harry Connick Jr. was standing right there, and I was just behind him. “Excuse me, Mr. Connick,” I said. “Mr. Connick, please.” Yet I simply could not get his attention. (A later hallucination explained this: Because I had a tube down my throat, when I tried to talk to Harry Connick Jr., all that came out was completely garbled.)
No, I didn’t get to the game either. The plastic bag I’d left at the crossroads earlier, containing my ticket and a change of clothes, was nowhere to be found. (In real life, I rambled on about this to my mom, who understandably had no idea what I was talking about.) I tried to get Steve to forward me a PDF of the ticket, or maybe I’d go to the Stadium ticket window and try to explain, but then I also needed clothes, which I tried to obtain from the shops downstairs from the walkway… it never happened.
Even though he’d snubbed me, I still wanted to help Harry Connick Jr. Back at… home? the hospital? … I found a very useful, relevant page on the WFMU website, and I tweeted it to Mr. Connick. No like, no reply. What can I say, the guy’s an ingrate.
Album Review: ‘Wax Diamond’ by the Planes
3.5 stars out of 5
Like an indie-pop Sully Sullenberger, Stephen Perry brought the Planes in for a safe landing a couple of years ago. The band had a nice little run on the New York/Brooklyn scene, recording, touring, doing those things bands do. But alas, it was time for the band to disband.
Soon enough, though, Perry felt that nagging urge to lead a band again. But still call it the Planes. And so, here we are, with their first recorded offering, Wax Diamond. Apparently there’s no bad blood, as the album was engineered and mixed by the Planes’ former drummer, Jeff Patlingrao.
Right off the bat, Perry allows the Planes’ new members to introduce themselves: “Red Shift” begins with a bouncy bass line from Jaclyn Perrone underscored by Jason Maksymillian’s crisp drumming. Perry’s perfect-pop guitar and fragile croon soon join the fray. But what’s this after the chorus — a blast of noisy guitar? So hold on a minute, is this an indie-pop record, or is it indie rock? Fasten your seatbelts, passengers, it’s both. Perry seems to have spent equal time marinating in early-90s twee and also in Pavement.
“Stick Around,” an insistent slice of pop, is one of several tracks featuring backing vocals by Perrone. (Boy/girl vocals — we’ll put a check mark in the indie-pop column.) In an alternate world, maybe this is a hit single. In an alternate-facts world, it already is! With a bullet!
“The Box” is probably the most rock-ish song in this collection, though “College Crush” and “Trident” also lean in that direction. Perry’s penchant for pedals permeates.
“ATMs” rides a pleasing pop melody, with a rock guitar solo thrown in for good measure. And “River” may be the record’s most successful melding of pop and rock.
The Planes slow things down on the album closer, “Meditation ’17.” True to Wax Diamond‘s musical motif, the song nearly builds to a Faith No More-style rock epic… before gently twinkling into the night.
Movie Review: Manchester by the Sea
4.5 stars out of 5
Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan doesn’t exactly churn out movies. He’s made three since 2000: the flat-out wonderful You Can Count on Me, the harrowing but brilliant Margaret (also answer to the trivia question, “What movie was Jack watching when Superstorm Sandy knocked the power out?”), and, released in the fall, Manchester by the Sea. The hyper-talented son-of-a-gun is now 3 for 3.
If you’re vaguely familiar with this movie, then you’ve likely heard that it’s really, really sad. It’s almost like Lonergan was thinking, “Margaret was a complete downer… so how could I top that?” We meet intense sourpuss Lee Chandler, played by intense sourpuss Casey Affleck. Lee is a competent but unhappy apartment-complex janitor in Boston. (What? An Affleck brother in a movie set in Massachusetts?) Then, to really boost his spirits, his brother Joe dies. In flashbacks — and on a slab in the morgue — the always great Kyle Chandler plays Joe. Chandler packed on some pounds to more realistically portray a character with congestive heart failure. Maybe to make it up to him for being such a good sport, Lonergan lets Kyle keep his own last name.
Anyhoo… Lee heads up to — drum roll please — Manchester-by-the-Sea (if behind-the-scenes tales from Margaret are any indication, Lonergan probably spent four years arguing with the movie studio whether or not there should be hyphens in the movie title) to attend to his brother’s affairs. He’s surprised to learn that one of these tasks is accepting custody of Joe’s 16-year-old son Patrick. Sure, Lee loves the kid, but Lee is a brooding janitor living in a basement apartment. How is this going to work?
Now, a lesser filmmaker might take this scenario and turn it into a sweet mismatched-buddy-flick comedy. But Lonergan has much, much more up his sleeve. Echoing Thomas Wolfe, it’s incredibly difficult for Lee to go home to Manchester. The past comes back to haunt him in a big way, from every corner. As his backstory slowly unravels, we come to understand why Lee is such a sullen fellow.
The performances are uniformly superb, with Oscar nominations well deserved. Affleck (best actor) earns our sympathy as well as our frustration. Lucas Hedges (supporting actor) as Patrick perfectly captures the fragility of a good-guy teenager with a little too much on his plate. And Michelle Williams (supporting actress), as Lee’s ex-wife, turns in an emotionally charged portrayal of a person trying to move forward but held back by searing guilt.
Everybody in this story is pretty tightly wound. In another movie, we’d wait for them to explode in the Big Important Scene. Not so in Manchester by the Sea. It’s an incredibly realistic collection of moments, snapshots, of real life, achingly on display. The cinematography and soundtrack (though a little musically over-the-top in one scene) help reinforce the downbeat tone. Thankfully, there are also glimmers of light and hope. Overall, the message seems to be that though closure is difficult to actually reach, the journey is still worthwhile.
Jack Silbert, curator