Pain is real. Acting isn’t. It takes a truly gifted actor to make an audience believe that the agony on the screen is real. Casey Affleck has never been on the radar as an extraordinary actor, but I am happy to be proven wrong. He pours his life force into this role and it shows on the screen. But his ability is only half of this film. The other half lies in the direction of Kenneth Lonergan. Lonergan isn’t an active director; he doesn’t use a lot of close ups or long shots, his focus is on the characters. He frames the characters and never shifts away when they need a breather, instead he lets every small moment translate onto the screen. He knows what’s important and it shows in every second.
Sad, but a great watch nonetheless.
Deserving of its many awards and score of…
4.5 out of 5
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