Martha Marcy May Marlene was one of those movies that received a lot of buzz during its limited theatrical run for both the quality of the film and its new yet not totally unknown star. Elizabeth Olsen, younger sister to the Olsen twins, makes her film debut in this film, but does her performance and the film live up to the hype or is it just that?
Martha follows a young woman rapidly unraveling amidst her attempt to reclaim a normal life after fleeing from a cult and its charismatic leader. Seeking help from her estranged older sister Lucy and brother-in-law, Martha is unable and unwilling to reveal the truth about her disappearance. When her memories trigger a chilling paranoia that her former cult could still be pursuing her, the line between Martha's reality and delusion begins to blur. This is a great movie, but one that will likely be met with mixed reviews from average film watchers. It’s not that it’s too complicated or anything like that, it is just one of those that leave a lot to the imagination and sadly most people refuse to let that happen. People want closure on their films, but sometimes what makes a film better is leaving to you to come to your own conclusions and spark discussions amongst other people. This film will take you down that road on an intriguing, sometimes disturbing look inside a cult and a person trying to adapt away from it. Olsen gives a great performance and easily establishes herself as a great actress, miles above anything her famous sisters have done. They film takes a complex approach at telling this simple story, which in turn adds a deeper depth to the film. Everyone gives great performances and works well together bringing the creepy nature of this film to life.
This is a great movie that does what films are supposed to do, which is have some kind of emotional thought provoking response. The ending will irritate a lot of people, but those are the same people that do not want think they just want to watch a movie and move on. Be on the lookout for Olsen as she is sure to be a star to watch. She will next be seen in the remake of Silent House which is sure to give her a challenge with even more range.
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