Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
Starring Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, and Hugh Dancy
Directed by Sean Durkin
Effortlessly jumping back and forth through time, Martha Marcy May Marlene is essentially two timelines in one -- the first allowing us to glimpse young twentysomething Martha's (Elizabeth Olsen) life in a farming commune/cult led by the mild-mannered though devastatingly twisted Patrick (John Hawkes). Through the seemingly simplest of ways -- for example, changing Martha's name to Marcy May to give her a new identity away from her previous life -- Patrick is a frightening presence whose calm demeanor masks a sinister bastardization of religion.
In the opening scene of the film, we see Martha running away from the cult, and after she escapes she calls her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) who takes Martha back to her lakefront home she shares with her husband Ted (Hugh Dancy). Making up timeline number two, we watch as Martha attempts to come to terms with the true hell she went through while with the cult all the while masking what really happened from her sister, the one person who truly loves her. Unable to reveal the truth to where she has been for two years, Martha herself is unable to escape the indoctrination Patrick forced onto her and finds herself being constantly reminded of her past.
Looking back on the film, I'm impressed with the fact that this is a real deep psychological study of the victims of cults and Elizabeth Olsen does such a fantastic job as Martha that it's nearly impossible to think that this was her debut performance. The last shot of the film (which in and of itself ends things on a killer note) showcases Olsen's talents -- a vulnerability that can effortlessly shift from hopefulness to dread with such believability. Needless to say, I was really impressed by her turn here and look forward to seeing what she brings in the future.
Also rather amazingly is that this is Sean Durkin's first time both behind the camera and penning a feature-length screenplay. His vision of jumping back and forth through time was perfect for the tale he wanted to tell and he did so in such a manner that never proved to be gimmicky or confusing. Sure, there are times of disorientation, but that is ultimately one of the points Durkin is trying to get across -- Martha's life isn't going to be easy and clear-headed from here on out simply because she has escaped the horrors of the cult. If anything, shifting back to a "normal" life may prove to be more difficult than she could have imagined.
There's definitely something special in Martha Marcy May Marlene...and the ending has me still thinking about it many hours later. [I'd be more than happy to elaborate and/or discuss in the comments should anyone desire.]
In the opening scene of the film, we see Martha running away from the cult, and after she escapes she calls her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) who takes Martha back to her lakefront home she shares with her husband Ted (Hugh Dancy). Making up timeline number two, we watch as Martha attempts to come to terms with the true hell she went through while with the cult all the while masking what really happened from her sister, the one person who truly loves her. Unable to reveal the truth to where she has been for two years, Martha herself is unable to escape the indoctrination Patrick forced onto her and finds herself being constantly reminded of her past.
Looking back on the film, I'm impressed with the fact that this is a real deep psychological study of the victims of cults and Elizabeth Olsen does such a fantastic job as Martha that it's nearly impossible to think that this was her debut performance. The last shot of the film (which in and of itself ends things on a killer note) showcases Olsen's talents -- a vulnerability that can effortlessly shift from hopefulness to dread with such believability. Needless to say, I was really impressed by her turn here and look forward to seeing what she brings in the future.
Also rather amazingly is that this is Sean Durkin's first time both behind the camera and penning a feature-length screenplay. His vision of jumping back and forth through time was perfect for the tale he wanted to tell and he did so in such a manner that never proved to be gimmicky or confusing. Sure, there are times of disorientation, but that is ultimately one of the points Durkin is trying to get across -- Martha's life isn't going to be easy and clear-headed from here on out simply because she has escaped the horrors of the cult. If anything, shifting back to a "normal" life may prove to be more difficult than she could have imagined.
There's definitely something special in Martha Marcy May Marlene...and the ending has me still thinking about it many hours later. [I'd be more than happy to elaborate and/or discuss in the comments should anyone desire.]
The RyMickey Rating: A-
Need to watch this D:
ReplyDeleteYou should do just that...
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