> REVIEW
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Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
A unique perspective…
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By Samuel Barnett | February 2012
DIRECTOR: Sean Durkin
WRITER: Sean Durkin
Sean Durkin’s directorial debut is an ambiguous, haunting and often beautiful portrayal of a broken and disillusioned young woman. Weaving between memories, dreams and reality Martha Marcy May Marlene successfully and painfully captures a fractured state of mind. Whilst it isn’t without its faults, it remains a startlingly impressive breakthrough for both the director and its leading lady.
Martha Marcy May Marlene drags its audience through the paranoid and confused mind of Martha (Elizabeth Olsen), who after escaping a self sufficient commune out in the country, manages to call her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) to pick her up. A couple of days later both Lucy and her new boyfriend start to notice Martha’s unusual and erratic behaviour. Concerned for her mental health, Lucy, believing Martha lived with an abusive ex-partner, attempts to uncover the truth, but Martha only becomes more insular in the process.
Over the course of the narrative we are presented with a set of flashbacks and memories from Martha’s time spent at the commune. Patrick (John Hawks) plays the manipulative and dangerous antagonist, a deeply malevolent character who slowly reveals his sinister intentions as the film descends into darkness. The more intense and unpleasant the memories, the more out of control Martha becomes. Her past is tainted with aggression, mental/physical abuse and violence and Lucy has to decide if Martha is fit to rejoin society.
The structure is solid and effective in its execution, like Lynne Ramsay’s, We Need To Talk About Kevin, the protagonist wonders through the present allowing her surroundings to bring forward turbulent and suppressed memories from a previous way of life.
John Hawks dominates the screen as the enigmatic and sadistic cult leader, and while his presence is chilling, the film would have benefited by giving him a little more screen time. As for Elizabeth Olson, she proves she can tackle a challenging and multi-layered role with her tender portrayal of Martha; a genuinely mysterious and intriguing character and the driving force of the narrative, Olsen excels with subtle nuances and powerful scenes throughout.
At its heart Martha Marcy May Marlene is a slow paced character study. Some will find it drags towards the final act, while the character transitions within the cult are not entirely believable, going from blind sheep to mass murderers in a matter of minutes feels a little forced, partly due to the ambiguous time-frame, but make no mistake this a stunning statement from Durkin and co that will linger long after viewing.
Script…………………………………………………………………………………………….
As confident as it is ambiguous, Durkin’s delicately fractured script provides it’s
actors with rich and fully realised characters in a beautiful, haunting world. 4
Direction………………………………………………………………………………………..
A challenging, often brutal, thought provoking slice of cinema. Durkin
controls the two time-frames with effective visual motifs and signifiers. 4
Verdict…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Bold, fresh and truly unique. Indie cinema doesn’t get any better than this. 4
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