Martha Marcy May Marlene Review (2011)

Director: Sean Durkin

Writer: Sean Durkin

Genre: Thriller/Drama

3.5 cookies

Glass of milk - Elizabeth Olsen

I have the privilege of being able to attend an eight-week film series this fall, where I will see a new movie each week, before it is released in theaters. Plus, at the screenings, there is often a Q & A session after the film, with someone involved with the movie such as a director, writer, actor, etc. If anyone is interested, the series is called New York Film Critics Host Coming Attractions. For the first week of this film series I saw the remarkable Sundance Film Festival hit Martha Marcy May Marlene. The guests at the screening were director Sean Durkin, and actors Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes.

            You may not have heard about this movie yet, but oh you will. Opening in New York and Los Angeles on October 21, before it expands to a nationwide release, Martha Marcy May Marlene (say that three times fast) has already taken the indie film world by storm, and is set to wreck havoc on audiences across the country.

            Elizabeth Olsen, the younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley, plays Martha, in the kind of role that creates a star. Before long, Elizabeth Olsen will be the Olsen sister, as she gives a transcendent performance worthy of all the hype it's been getting, and should receive an Oscar nomination from the Academy.  Talk about a breakout role; this role will do double for Olsen what Juno did for Ellen Page.

            The story begins with Martha escaping, one morning, from an abusive cult in upstate New York to live with her estranged sister, Lucy (Sarah Paulson), and her sister’s new husband, Ted (Hugh Dancy). As Martha attempts to re-assimilate to normal life, after two years in the cult, she is increasingly haunted by disturbing memories and behaves in strange and inappropriate ways. The film flashes back and forth between Martha’s time in the cult and the time after her escape, while the two timelines often merge together, creating a sense of paranoia and insanity, on the part of Martha.

            The film’s quadruple M title comes from the name Martha is given when she joins the cult, which is Marcy May. The fourth M, Marlene, is another name that all female members of the cult must use when dealing with the outside world. The man responsible for bestowing the ‘Marcy May’ title upon Martha is the cult’s eerily creepy and sinister, yet somehow inviting leader, Patrick. The great character actor, John Hawkes, who was nominated for an Oscar for last year’s Winter’s Bone gives a chilling performance as the demented cult leader. In one scene, he serenades the cult with a song called “Marcy’s Song,” and Durkin allows Hawkes to play the whole song through on his accoustic guitar, which gives the audience a perfect sense of what this character is like, and what Marcy means to him; Hawkes nails this scene.

            As Martha begins to act more and more strangely at home with her sister and brother-in-law, the flashbacks become increasingly disturbing, as we witness sexual and violent acts that Martha was forced to experience during her time in the cult. This is certainly not an easy film to watch, and you may find it necessary to turn your head from the screen at certain points. Don’t go to Martha expecting to walk out feeling like rainbows and lollipops; if a color could describe a movie, Martha would be black.

            That being said, I loved about ninety percent of this movie. Durkin has crafted a brilliant thriller that gets under your skin, and makes you watch actively – meaning, you have to do some thinking during this movie. There are even certain scenes that almost reach masterpiece quality. That’s why the ending is so frustrating.

(Spoiler Alert, kind of)

            There will be much discussed about the ending to Martha, and I don’t want to give too much away, but remember the ending to The Sopranos? The packed theater I was in gave a collective “Ahhhh!!!” as the screen went dark and I don’t think this “Ah,” was a good thing. I didn’t get why the movie had to end the way it did right after I saw it, and I still don’t get it why it ended the way it did, as I write this review three days later. An ending can either completely kill a movie or completely make it – in the case of Martha, the ending definitely didn’t help.

            After the Q & A session, I had the chance to go up to Durkin and I asked him why he chose the ending. His only response was, “Whatever questions the audience have, Martha has as well.” Maybe I’m just not smart enough, but I still don’t get the ending. It felt like a cop out.

            Regardless, Marthy Marcy May Marlene is a truly amazing movie and one that I highly recommend. And judge the ending for yourself – maybe I’m just stupid – I don’t think so though.

            Also, being able to meet the director, as well as Elizabeth Olsen (who’s only 22!) and John Hawkes was awesome. They were all really friendly and cool. In real life, Hawkes is not like his character at all, and Olsen is certainly no Martha, Marcy May, or Marlene.