Manchester by the Sea (2016) film review

Year: 2016

Running Time: 137 minutes

Director/ Writer: Kenneth Lonergan

Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, Kyle Chandler, Gretchen Mol, Matthew Broderick

Manchester By The Sea is now showing in cinemas everywhere and is distributed in Australia by Universal Pictures.

The stunning and incredibly crafted Manchester by the Sea is as heartbreaking as it is brilliant with it's tale of devastating tragedy intercepting with the absurdity of life.

Janitor Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) ran from his Massachusetts hometown of Manchester to escape his haunting personal tragedy, but he is summoned back when another family tragedy occurs. Upon the death of his brother, Lee becomes his nephew, Patrick's (Lucas Hedges) guardian. Despite his obvious love for Patrick, he is reluctant to move his life back to Manchester and accept a life of pain at the hands of the past.

Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea is not only devastating in story, but devastatingly beautiful as a whole. The atmospheric film set in the coastal New England town masters the art of modern tragedy and the Charles Chaplin quote "Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot" represents the film perfectly.

Manchester by the Sea is brilliantly written and directed by Lonergan as it captures the intensity of never-ending grief, guilt and heartbreak that accompanies a traumatic event, such as the one experienced by Affleck's Lee and his ex-wife, Randi (as portrayed in a stellar performance by Michelle Williams). However, the screenplay emphasises the fact that the absurdity of life does not disappear in tragedy and although humour is lost in the eye of the beholder, it is still there, as is seen in various surprisingly amusing scenes in the film (eg. losing the car and the frozen chicken scene). This inclusion of humour in the tragedy is such an achievement as the film does not lose any of it's emotional impact as a result of these fleeting, but effective moments of amusement. Rather, it adds to the realism and enjoyment of the film.

The film is exceptionally character driven with it's large focus on human interaction and relationships. Casey Affleck as protagonist, Lee Chandler gives an extraordinary performance as the man who has lost all that he ever cared about and despite having tried to move on, cannot do so in Manchester where everyone knows everything about each other. The character development is exceptionally strong with Lee as the film allows us to feel the extent and depth of his change in response to his life-altering events. Affleck is truly remarkable as Lee. He gives an emotionally powerful, yet restrained performance which naturally channels a broken man trying to navigate his way through life and find meaning once again.

Although Michelle Williams is truly heartbreaking as Randi, it is the chemistry between Affleck and Lucas Hedges, who plays Patrick, that is one of the great highlights of the film. Although Lee has been away from his nephew, the two are so alike at times that they clash and at other times they lift each other up. Their dialogue is perfectly timed and often witty and hilarious, but they also share some truly beautiful and heartfelt scenes.

Manchester by the Sea is by all means not the feel good film of the year, but it proves that sometimes even a harsh outcome can be gratifying if the film is crafted with the sheer perfection that this one is.

9/10

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)

Year: 2013
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Zach Braff, Joey King

Before I begin my review....
"It's not as good as The Wizard of Oz"

This is what I got told someone I know said after seeing Oz the Great and Powerful, and the first thing I thought after hearing this "Did you really go in expecting it to be a complete and utter classic that people are going to be in awe of for at least another 70 years and want to share with their children and grandchildren?"

That's called setting yourself up for disappointment.

When it comes to a prequel or a sequel of a film, I believe the best thing to do before you see it is just hope to enjoy it. Very rarely is the follow up as good as the first film, so don't set the bar too high. The good thing about a sequel or prequel to a film you love, is that it adds to your knowledge about the characters you loved and situations you enjoyed watching in the first film. If anything, you get to take this away from the film and you are not let down, because you enjoy seeing these characters again and learning more.

I myself are a bit of a Wizard of Oz fanatic and I know that people, like me, will enjoy Oz the Great and Powerful because it stays true to the 1939 classic. There are very little inconsistencies between the two and you really do believe you have learnt more about the original film by watching it. I was also a fan of 1985's Return To Oz, which is the sequel. However, both the prequel and the sequel are not as good as the original, but no one expects them to be. The Wizard of Oz was completely before it's time and there will never be another film like it.

By the way, if anybody was like me and wondered why there was no mention of the ruby slippers in Oz the Great and Powerful, I did a bit of research and found out why. Warner Bros own the rights to the elements of the original MGM film and as Oz the Great and Powerful is a Disney film, the studio cannot legally include mention of or images of the slippers in the film.

Studio politics.

Review

Oz the Great and Powerful does it's predecessor proud by continuing on The Wizard of Oz tradition with respect and beauty, something Disney have a knack of doing. 

It is hard not to compare and liken Oz the Great and Powerful to the 1939 classic as it is a prequel to it, but it would be unrealistic to expect it to be as good as it. However, all those who are fans of and enjoyed The Wizard of Oz (which would be the large majority of those who have seen it) will enjoy this film as it stays true to the original as well as being accompanied by extraordinarily beautiful visuals and amazing special effects. 

Oscar "Oz" Diggs (James Franco) is a Kansas sideshow magician when we meet him, who has dreams of being a man of greatness, but is struggling just to be a good man for the time being. He escapes the sideshow in a hot air balloon and gets caught in a classic Kansas twister. He lands in a beautiful land and meets the beautiful witch, Theodora (Mila Kunis) who tells him that he is in Oz. The coming of Oz to the land seems to fit the description of the prophecy in which a wizard will land and save the good people of Oz from the evil witch. Oz is not convinced that he is the wizard from the prophecy, but everyone believes otherwise. 

The story of Oz the Great and Powerful is easy to watch. It doesn't evoke too many emotions, but it is a whole lot of fun. The screenplay isn't exceptional and it is a very light film. It is not powerful by any means, except visually. However, it is what it is meant to be and that is a family film. It is just very entertaining and enjoyable.

The film has such a magical feel to it and is very easy on the eye. There are some incredible images and some of breathtaking beauty. Oz's landscapes are beautiful and cityscapes such as the broken China Town and the Emerald City are exquisite. If you have seen Disney's latest version of  Alice in Wonderland , may feel there is a Wonderland feeling about Oz. It will probably not surprise you to find out that the producer of Alice in Wonderland , Joe Roth, is also the producer of Oz the Great and Powerful.

Again, it is hard to look at Oz the Great and Powerful as a stand alone film as it does have so many references to The Wizard of Oz. The film starts off in sepia and then turns into colour when Oz arrives in Oz, just like in the original. There is also the appearance of characters in Oz who resemble or mirror those who were in Kansas, again what happened to Dorothy in 1939. Prior knowledge of The Wizard of Oz is almost essential so that you know the meaning of several little things throughout the film, but that isn't a problem as you'd be so hard pressed to find someone you know who hasn't seen the film. It is a joy to see the original being honoured in so many ways in this new film, and director of The Wizard of Oz, Victor Fleming would have been proud. 

James Franco completely personifies Oz. In the original, you get the feeling that once Dorothy and her friends discover him behind the curtain, he comes across a bit ashamed of himself that he isn't all that he pretends to be. Franco plays on this and shows how the wizard over does certain things he does to try and convince others how wonderful he is. Franco is perfectly cast and wonderful to watch. 

The three witches are all very well cast and are played by three of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. Michelle Williams is just gorgeous on screen as Glinda and is so likable, just as her character is supposed to be. Strong, but so very sweet. Rachel Weisz plays subtle evil very well and Mila Kunis becomes terrifying through the film and watching her change is excellent.

Joey King, who plays the little girl in the side show and the China Girl in Oz is wonderful. King, at 14, is one to watch. She has been in various films and glows in each of her roles and outshines many of her older co-stars. She is definitely a star to watch as she progresses.

Oz the Great and Powerful does The Wizard of Oz proud. It is a film lover's eye candy and is sure to become a guilty pleasure to many. 

7/10

My Week With Marilyn (2011)

My Week With Marilyn

Year: 2011

Director: Simon Curtis

Cast: Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh, Julia Ormond, Judi Dench

Before I begin my review….

                Now this is one movie I was really sceptical about.

                This had nothing to do with whether I liked the story, director or actors, it was completely to do with the love that I have for the late movie stars who are being portrayed in My Week With Marilyn. I am a massive fan of Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. I have so much Olivier and Leigh love that when my husband and I go to Gloria Jeans or Starbucks and they ask for our names for our order, we will more than likely give our names as Vivien and Larry.

                It is a strange thing watching actors who’s work you are familiar with portray other actors on screen who you are not only familiar with their work, but you have done so much reading into their lives that you feel like you know the person they were. You can either leave the cinema in a rage at the way they have been represented, or you can praise the actors who were portraying them for doing them complete justice.

                Luckily in this case, I am praising the actors. Particularly Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh who do deserve their Academy Award nominations for their portrayals of Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier. Although if I had to be picky, I’m still not 100% convinced that Williams had Monroe’s raspy but sweet voice perfected, but that is being very picky. She had everything else about Monroe that we know perfected.

                So I am happy with the character portrayal of these actors I love so much. It was just like watching my dear friends on the big screen.

Review

                My Week With Marilyn is one of those films where the story line may not be terribly strong, but the performances are.

                Based on the memoirs of the same name by Colin Clark, Clark’s first book entitled “The Prince, The Showgirl and Me” may have been better to make into a movie than “My Week With Marilyn”. The same characters which would mean the same brilliant performances, but the weakest part of the film, which is the romantic relationship between Clark and Marilyn Monroe would be put to the side. Mind you, this is almost what happens in the film anyway.

                The year is 1957 and Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) is the biggest movie star in the world. Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) scores the dream job of working on the set of Monroe’s latest film project, The Prince and The Showgirl with his hero, Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh). Colin gets the witness the way a film is made, but also gets the witness the dynamics of the cast and crew, in particular Monroe and Olivier’s fiery working relationship. Colin falls under Monroe’s spell, as he becomes the shoulder she leans on throughout the film.

                One of the big faults with My Week With Marilyn is that you really don’t feel like you get that much out of Colin’s week with her. It is true that you get a taste for who Monroe really was behind all the glitz and glamour and realise her fight to be seen as more than just a sex symbol, but it almost feels like it is just a waste of time putting any emphasis at all on the relationship between her and Colin.

                The screenplay and storyline does also lack a considerable amount of depth. There are no really emotional moments in the film and no real longing by the audience to find out as quickly as possible what is going to happen.  However, the film makes up for it in the character development and performances of the main characters. A considerable amount of research has been done on the film as to who all the characters were when they were alive and filming The Prince and The Showgirl.  Of course, research does come easier when the film is based on memoirs, and there is a tremendous amount of literature out there about these actors.

                My Week With Marilyn is, rather than being a script driven film, very much a character driven film, particularly that of Marilyn Monroe.  Michelle Williams does a wonderful job of bringing Monroe back to the big screen. She has the walk perfected, the body language and the facial expressions all down to a tee. Her voice doesn’t quite match Monroe’s, but she is forgiven for this considering she gets so much else right. The best part about her performance is how much emotion she brings to her performance. Towards the end of the film, you almost forget that you are watching Williams and not Monroe. She brings Monroe back to life and we get to see straight into her soul and you don’t just see Monroe, but you also see Norma Jeane.

                Kenneth Branagh is also brilliant as Sir Laurence Olivier. He gives an intense and electronically charged performance. There are moments you know you should dislike him, but his intensity is just so brilliant.

                However, the role of Colin Clark, played by Eddie Redmayne couldn’t possibly be any easier for him. He speaks of how much he loves Monroe, but he is just like a love struck teenager who just grins idiotically at his idol. Those Harry Potter fans who are eager to see Emma Watson in this film as Colin’s initial love interest, Lucy would be disappointed. It is such a bland role and completely useless in the large scope of the film.

                My Week With Marilyn is a not a strong film, but a film with strong performances by Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh. Granted, Marilyn Monroe fans will love it.

7/10

Sources
Imdb.com