For
many reasons, watching this film reminded me of Alexander Payne's The
Descendants and its subtle approach towards dealing with a situation as
harsh as death.
Written
and directed by Kenneth Lonergan (whose earlier ventures into filmmaking I am very
curious about, now that I have seen this one), the film doesn't have a single scene that screams in your face. The two that come close to doing that have been shot and edited
in a manner that does not allow them to linger for longer than necessary.
The
background score on most occasions ranges from mild to mildly pronounced. Never
melodramatic.
In
fact, if you break down the film in parts and watch those parts in a particular
order, it is likely that you will mistake this as a light comedy even after you
are done with 60% of the length (which it is, but that's only on the surface).
The
drama is not imposed on you in one sudden stroke. The damage is rendered
slowly, one flashback at a time, with almost a casual touch to the proceedings.
Like
waves.
Gentle
at first, then a little strong, then stronger, then- in its final stages-
powerful.
The
writing, the acting (even the bit roles), the background score, and the
cinematography. All top notch.
But
what it eventually comes down to is the one man who carries the entire film on
his shoulders from the beginning to the end.
Playing
Lee Chandler- a young man with a traumatic past who has recently lost his
brother-Cassey Affleck emotes ten
times as much as Hugh Jackman from Prisoners did, only without the
assistance of overtly intense dialogues or facial contortions that'd make the
likes of Hrithik Roshan proud.
Affleck's
face seldom changes and yet is literally an open map of his thoughts. He says all
that is needed to break the audiences’ heart in a thousand pieces, without
saying anything at all.
The
grief. Oh the grief!
I
must admit I haven't seen too many of his previous films, but if this hadn’t
fetched him the Oscar for best actor, then I don't know what the fuck would
have.
A
straight five out of five overall. Nothing less.
Recommended
viewing. One of 2016's finest contributions to cinema.
Catch trailer here:
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