Manchester by the Sea

Kenneth Lonergan's searing drama about grief, family, and acceptance is made even more powerful by its deep well of empathy and its unforgettable performances, particularly Affleck's. Manchester by the Sea treads a path we've seen at the movies before -- the mourning after a loss and how that loss affects everyone left behind -- it but does so with stunning compassion. The film's lack of artifice in mining its tough subject matter sets it apart, as does the way it balances all sorts of emotions, including humor in the darkest of days, to create a real sense of humanity. (Lonergan has always been wonderful at this.)

Even more impressive is how the movie reveals an even deeper layer of grief beneath the one we're first presented with, one that will leave viewers broken-hearted, just like its leads. If there's a flaw in Manchester, it's that in the end, we still only have a slippery sense of who Lee is and what he will become. (Also somewhat unsatisfying is how it handles the character of Patrick's mother.) But if you see the film with any bit of unexpressed sorrow hiding inside you, don't expect to leave the theater unscathed: It could break you.