Casey Affleck Kyle Chandler Michelle
Williams Lucas
Hedges Gretchen
Mol
Kenneth Lonergan (You Can Count on Me) is a master of film, as so brilliantly
displayed here by script and direction, acting (Affleck, Hedges, Williams),
cinematography (Jody Lee Lipes), editing (Jennifer Lame), and a soundtrack
perfectly apt for every scene (Lesley Barber). The movie unfolds organically, tracing the history of the
acutely sensitive but emotionally closed off Lee Chandler (Affleck). It’s not clear in the beginning, but
when we get the full story of this man’s adult life, we feel like we know
him—not so much by what he says and doesn’t say as what we learn of what he has
gone through and the reactions to
him of those around him.
The man is already carrying around a huge
burden, and although the family has been warned, his brother’s death is
naturally shocking. More shocking
to Lee is that he is to be his nephew’s guardian, a role for which he is
completely unprepared emotionally, but there is another issue. He left Manchester under a cloud and
doesn’t want to return; but his nephew Patrick (Hedges) is still in high school
and understandably doesn’t want to move away to Lee’s town. How this dilemma is resolved attests to
Lonergan’s skill in honing in on real people and how they react to and solve
problems; this is not a fairy tale.
The film is an exquisite portrayal of a
traumatized man trying to connect with other people, whether they are
strangers, current associates, or from his past. The boisterous, demonstrative scenes of him with his wife
and children before the trauma are in stark contrast to his current way of
relating, e.g., it took days and days before he could give his nephew a
hug. We see the absolutely
torturous condition of someone not being able to confide in anyone else. Lonergan gives us a picture of a man
not only traumatized, but filled with guilt. Once we get this full picture, the way in which he resolves
his dilemma is completely understandable.
Without this understanding, we might judge him differently.
Casey Affleck is clearly in the news about his
performance here, and it is well deserved. He must inhabit a character who shows little or no emotion,
but conveys so much nonverbally to show us the deep rivers of emotion rushing
through him. Lee has erected
defenses so strong, that certain provocations will bring a torrent of action,
yet others who are more gentle will leave him unmoved outwardly with a sea of
turmoil beneath. Lucas Hedges and
Michelle Williams give fine supporting performances opposite Affleck, both
reacting explosively to him but in different ways. I was struck by Hedges’ portrayal of a teenager who in some
ways is more mature than the adult in charge of him.
Barber and Lipes provide music and
cinematography that pair together inspiringly to convey the mood and temper of
every scene. The opening views of
a serene, picturesque seaside in the beginning contrasts with what we will see
later in the, sometimes ugly, events that will ensue. Barber’s music will enhance whatever the scene is.
Understanding can be both a ravishing
and a melancholy experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment