Martha Marcy May Marlene

UK Release: 3rd February 2012

Watched in Cinema: Monday 24th October 2011

Rating: 15

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Runtime: 1hr 51 mins

Newcomer Elizabeth Olsen stars in this atmospheric story of a young woman recently escaped from a cult-like commune.

BFI Plot Synopsis: One of the outstanding feature debuts from Sundance this year, Martha Marcy May Marlene not only heralds the arrival of a skillful, intelligent filmmaker in writer-director Sean Durkin, but also boasts a performance of conviction and great sensitivity from exciting new talent Elizabeth Olsen. First seen living in an isolated but seemingly idyllic commune in the Catskills, it's not long before Martha (Olsen) flees this extended family of sorts and takes refuge with her sister Lucy, their first contact in over two years. Lucy (Sarah Paulson), now living with her husband Ted (Hugh Dancy) in an impressive lakeside home, seems only too happy to rebuild relations with the evidently fragile Martha. But, as the days pass, Martha is troubled by recurring visions of the coercive nature of the cult and its charismatic but ruthless leader, and her paranoia and mental disarray makes her behaviour erratic, and undermines her ability to re-enter 'normal' life. A sense of unease and foreboding hangs in the air, as this beautifully composed and photographed film blurs the boundaries between past, present, memories and dreams so that, like Martha, we are not always sure what is real and what is imagined.

My Review: Wow. This film leaves a strong impact on your brain. It’s dark, twisted and disturbing but completely breathtakingly thrilling. The cinematography was gorgeous and took me into a world where I was constantly unsure of whether what we were seeing through Martha’s eyes was true or not. Elizabeth Olsen playing the alluring Martha of the title was just impeccable and has been jumped upon by the critics as a break-out star. It was hard to take her eyes off her and I was both on her side and apprehensive about her as she remembers what happened in the cult-like commune. I emphasised but at the same time, it’s hard not to question how she could be so gull-able and weak as to be sucked into that life. But then we all like to think we aren’t victims. The film is dream-like in its narrative jumping from past and present, and when they merge it becomes even more hard to discern reality. 

It was tense, unpredictable and almost suffocating at times: the packed cinema had a brilliant spine-tingling atmosphere which added to the effect. 

Sarah Paulson and Hugh Dancy played Martha’s sister and her husband and after Elizabeth Olsen, were absolutely absorbing, with some interesting subtext which added to the depth of the film even further. 

Overall, the film was incredibly powerful and really moving towards the end, making it my favourite film of the festival.

Score: 8/10