Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)

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  May 22, 2012

  katykern8261

  Directed (and written) by Sean Durkin, Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2011. Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy and John Hawkes.
  
  Genre: Drama, Thriller.
  
  Question: What happens to you if you were abandoned as a child, end up not having a proper upbringing, and in ... read moresearch of wanting someone to love you and take care of you? That's easy - you're vulnerable and easy prey for those who like to manipulate and control others. Martha Marcy May Marlene explores one woman's experience in a manipulative and abusive cult-like "family" after she escapes and tries to have a real family member help her.
  
  Martha Marcy May Marlene is not an easy movie to watch/experience, that is not to say it is a bad movie - quite the contrary. However, there were scenes that were hard to watch especially when the manipulation and abuse are depicted on screen. It is a poignant film that displays pure, raw emotions. Most of the credit should go to the lead actress: Elizabeth Olsen. She was spectacular!
  
  I was blown-away by her skill to draw you into her mental decline as she recalled the good, the bad and the horror of her past with the group. Her eyes and facial expressions during certain moments of silence were just as powerful at displaying the intensity of the moment as compared to when she is being physically violated or having a full blown paranoia attack. All these scenes leave you drained.
  
  This is a slow film but a thought-provoking piece that will leave you wondering if characters or story-lines were real or imaginary. As I was watching this film, which I enjoyed, I kept recalling another movie I saw nearly a decade ago: Swimming Pool. It had the same feel as that drama/thriller.
  
  A couple other actors should have a mention or two. Hugh Dancy, who usually plays the sweet, British male lead character in his films definitely played against type. It was refreshing. I almost didn't recognize him because of it. Another actor whose name you won't recognize, John Hawkes, but you should recall his face, played the leader of the cult. His portrayal was seductive, charming and scarily real - you could almost feel why someone girls would allow him to control them. Shivers. He should receive some sort of decent acknowledgement for his performance.
  
  I don't want to tell you any more about Martha Marcy May Marlene - like why it is called that or any other details of the plot because it is a thriller except to say I really enjoyed the cinematography in this film. There were extreme close-ups, that were almost disconcerting, when two people were conversing, but I understood what the filmmakers were trying to communicate. I am not going to tell you what I think - nope. This film asks questions and lets you answer them which is my favorite kind of story. I so enjoy when something isn't shoved down my throat and I am allowed to come up with my own conclusions.
  
  One last part that I have to share: the editing and the dialogue. It was simply brilliant. The story goes back and forth from her present day to flashbacks of when she was with the cult. The editor chose perfect aspects of editing to make you wonder if it was a dream or if it was real in order to let your emotions sink you in deeper into the tale. Also, there was some profound dialogue that left me almost breathless. That is all I am going to say about that.
  
  As you may have figured out, Martha Marcy May Marlene may not be a film for everyone; but if you enjoy good storytelling that is off-beat and filled with meandering emotions then this one is for you.
  
  My favorite part: Having a film that lets it's audience think for themselves.
  
  My least favorite: The abuse portrayed in this film.
  
  Rating: R
  Length: 102 minutes
  
  Review: 7 out of 10

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• 
  
  May 14, 2012

  LorenzoVonMatterhorn

  "I am a teacher and a leader."
  
  Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult.
  
  REVIEW
  Martha (Ols... read moreen) is a traumatised young woman who runs away from a cult in upstate New York. She calls the only person she can, her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson). She stays with Lucy and her husband Ted (Hugh Dancy) in their country retreat in Connecticut. But Martha struggles to adapt, her behaviour is socially unacceptable and Lucy struggles to help her sister. At the same time Martha has memories of her time at the cult and soon her memories and reality start to mix together. Like everyone else the best feature of Martha Marcy May Marlene is the acting from the whole cast. Olsen and co. gave very natural, believable performances which were enhanced by Durkin's script and his minimalist direction, helping enhance their performances. But Durkin's directional is not simply a point the camera and shoot, it is simply a more subtle approach showing the world as it is, a potential dark place where horrible things can happen. There is a deliberately restrained style as Durkin uses one take shots and as set pieces are simply seen like that, whether using a static camera or hand-held cameras.
  
  It was easy to believe Martha's psychological torment as she struggles to adapt back into society and plagued by her memories. There is excellent editing, making a well crafted story as we see both narratives, seeing the horrible dark elements of the cult which involving drugging, rape, violence, stealing and murder. Olsen and Paulson had a great relationship together, both acting like sisters, both having their own problems, as Lucy is unable to help her sister and both becoming resentful towards each other. It was handled in a believable manner, but the domestic situation and the eerily calm within the cult, being like the Manson family lite. There were moments where Martha Marcy May Marlene does occasionally drag and a little slow. A couple of minutes could have been cut, but on the whole "Martha" is very compelling, intelligently made film with a great cast and script. It is certainly worthy viewing.

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• 
  
  May 7, 2012

  fb100001048934982

  A thoroughly enthralling psychological thriller that fires on all cylinders. This films creates a tense mood filled with great performances, especially from its lead Elizabeth Olson. Some may moan about the ending, but it doesn't ruin the overall satisfaction of the film. This is... read more a superbly entertaining and well-crafted thriller.

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• 
  
  April 8, 2012

  cosmo313

  Featuring a cumbersome title, but some really good performances, this is a little low-key indie about a troubled woman named Martha who struggles to regain something resembling a normal life after fleeing from a cult. She seeks help from her sister and brother-in-law, but the mem... read moreories of her past keep creeping up, making it difficult for her to really distinguish reality from what's in her head.
  
  The set up is fine, and very compelling stuff, but the execution is where this film suffers. This has been getting all kinds of great reviews, but I fail to really see what the big deal is. Sure, showing the film in a fracturued manner so as to emulate the protagonist's fractured psyche is nice, but the film is really jumbled, messy, and unfortunately doesn't really add up to much, have a lot to really say, or carry very much weight with it. It does have some high points though (besides the acting, that is). There's a great sense of creepiness and forboding that underscores each scene, and the cinematography is nice, but unfortuantely, this really good story doesn't have a very strong script.
  
  As a debut feature though, I guess I can't fault it too much. Lord knows that I may not be able to do much better if given the chance. Still though, I wasn't bored, but I didn't find there to be too much of a point to this.
  
  Mad props though to Elizabeth Olsen, who definitely outshines her older sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley, both in the talent and boldness departments. She does a really good job, and definitely does 99% of the heavy liting here. This is some challenging stuff, and she definitely proves that she's worthy of keeping an eye on. John Hawkes once again knocks it out of the park in a small yet strong supporting role. By once again, I am of course refering to that little indie darling known as Winter's Bone which also was small and garnered respect and featured Hawkes. Unlike that one though, this one has ideas, but not enough meat.
  
  All in all, a passable (barely) but rough film that has some bright spots, but needed a lot more polishing before being put on the shelf. I should be giving this a 3 but I'm so pleased by how good the positive elements of this film are that I can't help but go against my better judgment and give it a litle boost in its rating.

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• 
  
  March 27, 2012

  axadntpron

  Right from the opening scene, one cannot help but be lured in by the film's haunting imagery. The muted colors give this psychological drama a surreal quality. One that is equal parts alluring and portentous. This arresting imagery stirred in me a genuine terror for Martha even t... read morehough I knew very little about the cult in these first few minutes apart from the placid demeanor of it's citizens. I credit this to first time director Sean Durkin who in such a short time, made me feel so much for a character I barely knew.
  While this opening is impressive, the rest of the film is nothing to shake a stick at. Durkin judiciously balances not only the deviance and pain caused by this "ideal" community, but also the fraternity that would compel someone like Martha to join. This allure is typified by the presence of John Hawkes. The leader of this cult whose messianic demeanor is attractive even while he reeks of danger.
  Being his debut feature, I was surprised at how powerful Durkin is as a storyteller. Effortlessly gliding between past and present, he gives us a comprehensive look at Martha's complicated plight.
  I am excited to see future features from Durkin as this was quite an intoxicating debut.

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• 
  
  March 26, 2012

  LWOODS04

  Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Christopher Abbott, Brady Corbet, Hugh Dancy, Maria Dizzia, Julia Garner, John Hawkes, Louisa Krause, Sarah Paulson
  
  Director: T. Sean Durkin
  
  Summary: After escaping from a violent cult in rural New York, Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) tries to reconnect with h... read moreer estranged sister, Lucy (Sarah Paulson), and Lucy's well-to-do husband, Ted (Hugh Dancy), but the brainwashing she endured continues to prevent her from forming an identity of her own. Overwhelmed with paranoia, guilt and shame, Martha isolates herself until Lucy begins to suspect her sister's emotional trauma has deeper underlying causes.
  
  My Thoughts: "Wow. I didn't know quite what to expect with this film, but it was terrifying in a whole new way. This cult thing is so real and very scary. The movie is more of a character study on an individual who escapes a cult and has a hard time mentally leaving it behind. Martha Marcy May Marlene, which ever you want to call her by, is very fragile and confused. It was very interesting seeing her time spent at the cult unfold slowly as she adjusted to being back to normal civilization with her sister. Pacific moments or people would take her back to certain moments spent with the cult. Most of it is tragic and you wonder if she is so traumatized by it and that's why she doesn't speak of it, or if it's her sister she just doesn't want to discuss it with. The ending leaves you wondering and guessing. Is the cult after her? Will they ever catch her, and if maybe she will return on her own? It's a scary thought to process and to think that this stuff happens. A great job by Elizabeth Olsen who will undoubtedly make her own way in this business and not be shadowed by her siblings success. She is a great actress and I can't wait to see her in future films."

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  March 25, 2012

  mumby1988

  Sundance offerings can be like coming-of-age films: they tend to be remembered for the careers that they launched rather than their cinematic merits. Two years ago we had Winter's Bone, Debra Granik's drama which, while intriguing and atmospheric, would have fallen flat without t... read morehe astounding central performance of Jennifer Lawrence. Having cut her teeth in independent cinema, Lawrence is now well on the way to cemented mainstream stardom, with her performances in X-Men: First Class and most recently The Hunger Games.
  
  At first glance, Martha Marcy May Marlene looks like it could be neither more nor less than this year's Winter's Bone. Certainly most of the hype has surrounded the central performance of Elizabeth Olsen, the younger and clearly more talented sister of twin starlets Mary-Kate and Ashley. But while Olsen's performance anchors the film, it offers so much more than just a future star, being an unnerving and deeply unsettling drama from first-timer Sean Durkin.
  
  Martha Marcy May Marlene may have a cumbersome title, but there is nothing remotely cumbersome about its pacing. Like a lot of Sundance efforts, most of the time is taken up with the characters interacting in situ, and in lesser festival efforts the action could quickly start going in circles. Durkin understands that and uses the flashbacks to vary the pace and keep us on our toes. His editing and choice of angles is so effective that we occasionally have to second-guess as to which part of the story we are seeing, which only increases the disturbing nature of the events.
  
  The film is at its most basic the study of a fractured and traumatised mind. Martha begins the film by escaping from some kind of compound through the woods and ringing her sister from a café. She is completely disorientated, not knowing where she is or even how she got there. As the film rolls on and more aspects of her past come to light, we begin to piece together her mental state and how she could possibly have arrived at such a point. But this is not a nuts-and-bolts thriller in which the psychoses of a character can be explained on the back of an envelope. The film is more open-ended and braver than that, seeking to humanise both parties to both terrorise and reassure.
  
  This desire to unnerve by being even-handed is reflected in both the nature of the compound and the arguments later in the film between Martha and her brother-in-law. All the women in the compound sleep in close proximity in the same room, wear plainer clothes and eat less food at different times to the men. Durkin shoots the scenes of them dressing and undressing with clinical detachment, refusing to pass judgement on them and letting the conditions speak for themselves. While his is not a documentarian approach, he is very careful not to let his personal feelings be imposed upon or dominate the characters.
  
  The film is also careful to explain why people like Martha may have entered into such a lifestyle in the first place. During a heated dinner table conversation, Ted (Martha's brother-in-law) accuses her of being lazy and ungrateful, for coming into his house and eating his food without even trying to plan what her next move will be. Martha retorts angrily that there is another way of living, and even if she is prevented from elaborating, we understand why people like herself may have been alienated from the aggressive consumerist and materialist lifestyle practised and celebrated by Ted and his wife Sarah.
  
  Although Martha Marcy May Marlene is very much a product of 2012, the subject matter has an old-fashioned tinge to it. Had it been made in the late-1960s or early-1970s, it would have been hugely controversial. It could have been embraced by the authorities as a realistic depiction of the threat posed by beatniks and hippie communes, and denounced by these groups as a piece of slanderous exploitation. It will certainly touch a nerve with those who remember the Manson family, whose actions, while not representative, helped to tarnish everything promoted in the Summer of Love. For younger viewers, the film sends out a message that attitudes towards women have not come on as far as we would like to think, and that similar cults continue to prey on the vulnerable in ways and for reasons which we still struggle to understand.
  
  One of the most sinister aspects of this cult is the practice of stealing people's names. There have been many films which have explored the loss of people's names as part of a process of breaking down identity: think of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman renaming all his grunts in Full Metal Jacket, or the sorceressYubaba turning Chihiro into Sen in Spirited Away. Martha Marcy May Marlene is more subtle than these, consolidating its theme of people being drawn in by their desire to forget themselves as individuals and find their purpose in a community. When Patrick remarks that Martha "looks like a Marcy May", he is beginning a process of which she is not yet conscious, and by the time she realises, it is too late.
  
  Being a psychological drama, there are a number of moments in Martha Marcy May Marlene which are deeply disturbing. The sequences involving the newest girls giving themselves to the men on one of their first nights is genuinely harrowing, as is the moment when Martha wakes up to find an aggressive young man riding on top of her. What is more impressive, however, is that Durkin maintains these feelings of dread and disgust even in the quietest and most innocuous moments. By cutting between the past and the present, we are constantly unsettled, so that when familiar figures turn up, we don't know whether to pinch ourselves, cry out or just run.
  
  The best compliment one can make about this film is that it achieves an unbearable level of tension and mental disorientation on a par with Roman Polanski's Repulsion. There are similarities between the films: both are about the disintegration of a female protagonist, caused or exacerbated by her experiences with men, and both blend reality and dream logic to throw us off the scent. But while Polanski is more expressionistic, physicalizing Carol LeDoux's demons as hands coming through the walls, Durkin is constantly reining himself in, resisting the urge for a big gesture which could undo all his good work.
  
  The film is also a good companion to Deliverance, John Boorman's film about man's perception of nature and the natural world being in conflict with the demands of modern life. Both films have what could be called an objective internal morality - in other words, they don't judge the events that happen on screen, they only present them. The shot of Martha seeing Patrick on the far bank of the lake in which she swimming is akin to the final moments of Deliverance, in which the hand of the dead hick rises from the flooded basin brandishing a shotgun. This and the invasion of people's homes by the cult members, like the children from Village of the Damned, portray a counter-culture still in conflict with modern lifestyles, long after all the arguments appeared to have been settled.
  
  The performances in Martha Marcy May Marlene are outstanding across the board. Olsen had rightfully received the lion's share of the plaudits, and like Jennifer Lawrence she manages to exhibit great presence and charisma without seeming to do much. Her performance is one of little details, and like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy we spend so much of our time wondering what each little tic or twitch might mean. John Hawkes, who co-starred in Winter's Bone, is suitably and subtly creepy at the cult leader Patrick, and both films utilise folk guitars to create an unnerving mood. Sarah Paulson and Hugh Dancy also provide good support as Sarah and Ted, even if it is never explained why the latter has an English accent.
  
  Martha Marcy May Marlene is one of the best films of 2012 and as good a debut feature as one could possibly desire. Olsen's stunning central performance is married to inventive and intelligent direction from Durkin, who chooses to build tension the hard way and is rewarded for his patience. It is slightly too long, with a slow-burning and repetitive structure which some will find hard to handle. But these are small niggles in a deeply unsettling and unnerving film which gives Repulsion a run for its money.

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  March 21, 2012

  fb619846742

  A scarring, frighteningly realistic portrayal of a religious cult and how it exploits innocence, namely a young woman (Elizabeth Olson) and how she attempts to break free from it's agonizing grip on her life. What a terrific, well-acted film this is, all under the control of a fi... read morerst time director in T. Sean Durkin, who creates a haunting, sad movie out of mostly nothing but still shots and empty gazes. It takes a skilled director to create a near-masterpiece of a film given the content of this story, keeping it realistic and not making it melodramatic or going over the top. Olson, stunningly beautiful and perfect for the part of a naive girl taken advantage of, is a revelation in a quiet, brilliant performance. John Hawkes, like he proved to be in "Winter's Bone", is as consistent as they come in the line of character actors. One of the finest films of 2011 without question, and a nice platform for the start of a hopefully new career for a talented actress in Olson.

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  March 21, 2012

  fb1038944442

  Martha Marcy... is a powerhouse of an indy film, with deft writing, deep intense acting and restrained but indelible imagery. The wide release debut of Sean Durkin, it reveals an original filmmaking talent that should yield terrific results in the future. It's the story of sister... read mores, one, Martha, just escaped from a dark, Manson like cult (Elizabeth Olsen), the other, Lucy, a repressed tightly wound yuppie (Sarah Paulson), getting reaquainted after two years of estrangement while the Martha..Marcy... title character was being indoctrinated, and brainwashed by a polygamous, violent, charismatic cult leader (John Hawkes). Durkin provides almost no backstory, both for whatever horrible secrets clouded the sisters' lives before Martha ran off, nor for the cult itself. Many painful events are hinted at, but are never explicitly spelled out. Normally that would have annoyed me, but in this case, it makes the movie that much more riveting. My only quarrel is one of implausibility, in that I find it unlikely that a sister would disappear for two years and her sister would accept her back in her house and world, no questions asked. Olsen gives a performance of subtext and intensity of a very disturbed and volatile woman, and all of her twists and mood swings are completely believeable. She is, as many critics have said, is special and one to watch. Her sisters MK and Ashley should give her money for a movie that will show what their gifted sister can do. Paulson has a somewhat thankless role as a very repressed yet deeply emotional character, and she knocks it out of the park, but generously allows Olsen to shine. Hawkes, a fine subtle actor with a very memorable face (see his great understated work in HBO's Deadwood) shows how a manipulative, sexually predatory, perverse murderer with a Buddah/god complex can get people to follow him. The film is shot in rural, pastoral locations, intercutting between the primitive commune like farm of the cult and the modern, yuppie lakefront cottage of Lucy and her shallow English husband. It goes back and forth through well placed flashbacks. The film is nothing if not fairminded. Philisophically, it shows why someone raised in a middle class, repressed environment would be attracted to joining a warm 'family' that happens to be an evil cult. What wrong with the cult is obvious, the movie excels at exploring what is gone wrong in the 'conventional' lives of these sisters. I wish I knew more about what happened to get them to this point, but as I said, I was glued to my seat throughout.On the down side, the film is utterly humourless and grim, so don't rent it if you need a 'pick me up' film to cheer you up. You may also be frustrated by the slightly too convenient lack of back story, but just go with it. Olsen should have gotten an Oscar nod, but she joins a long line of snubbed but worthy peformances in film history.

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  March 3, 2012

  blacksheepboy

  An intensely disturbing psychological thriller about how you can lose your identity by getting brutally brainwashed by an abusive sect. The editing is spectacular and the whole cast is terrific, especially Hawkes as the terrifying leader of the group and Olsen as the paranoid, me... read morentally fractured protagonist.

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• Elizabeth Olsen as Martha
• Christopher Abbott as Max
• Sarah Paulson as Lucy
• John Hawkes as Patrick
• Brady Corbet as Watts
• Hugh Dancy as Ted
• Maria Dizzia as Katie
• Julia Garner as Sarah
• Louisa Krause as Zoe

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  Higher Ground (100%)
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  Sound of My Voice (0%)
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  Shotgun Stories (100%)
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  Winter's Bone (80%)

• • Martha: Patrick only has boys.
• • Martha: You're going to be a terrible mother!
• • Martha: You're going to be a horrible mother!
• • Martha: I know who I am. I am a teacher and a leader, you just never let me be that!
• • Patrick: I don't blame you for not trusting people.

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• Martha Marcy May Marlene
• Martha Marcy May Marlene: You Look Like Marcy May
• Martha Marcy May Marlene: Elizabeth Olsen Breakout (Featurette)
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• Martha Marcy May Marlene (German)
• Martha Marcy May Marlene: Conversation With The Filmmakers (Featurette)
• Martha Marcy May Marlene: The Story (Featurette)
• Martha Marcy May Marlene: Just Because We're Sisters
• Martha Marcy May Marlene (Italian)

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