Martha Marcy May Marlene, the first feature film by writer/director Sean Durkin, tells the story of Martha (Elizabeth Olsen), who escapes from a cult run by the charismatic Patrick (John Hawkes.) We don’t learn much about Martha over the course of the movie’s running time. In fact, we don’t learn much at all.
Through a non-linear storyline, we flash back and forth from Martha’s escape from the cult to her days as a member, where she was known as Marcy May. We see how Patrick uses the other cult members to introduce her to their seemingly innocent way of life, which appears to revolve around farming and becoming independent of the outside world. We see Martha trying to adjust to life outside the cult in the opulent home of her sister, Lucy (Sarah Paulson,) and her new husband, Ted (Hugh Dancy.)
Durkin keeps the audience guessing when the subtle transitions are made from one time frame to the other. One moment, Martha will walk into a shadow in Lucy’s home and emerge as Marcy May on Patrick’s farm. Durkin shows that Martha’s mind keeps finding the similarities between these two seemingly separate worlds and is having difficulty dealing with the differences. For example, we see that at Patrick’s farm, the members share clothes and have no shame in being naked in front of one another. In the “safe” environment of Lucy’s lakeside home, Martha is chastised for shedding her clothes for a swim. She can’t understand why Lucy has a problem with this.
Martha Marcy May Marlene is an interesting film with an engrossing story. Unfortunately, Durkin’s script doesn’t seem to know where to go with it. So, it doesn’t go anywhere. Literally. The film simply ends with no resolution or finality. Whether this is Durkin’s idea of being clever or an unwillingness to reveal a conclusion to Martha’s story, the result is maddening.
It would be easy to recommend the film solely on the strength of newcomer Elizabeth Olsen’s performance. While she might be the younger sister of the Olsen Twins, she can rest assured that she will be remembered for something other than that. It is her screen presence that carried me through some of the film’s slower moments. The script allows her to showcase almost every possible emotion. If this were an audition reel, that would be great. However, this is a feature film and, while her performance is outstanding and career-making, it does not make for a complete or satisfying movie.
Had Durkin decided to end the story and supply a reason for the non-linear storytelling, the result would have been one of the best films of the year. Sadly, Martha Marcy May Marlene ends up just being a disappointment.
2.5 out of 5.0 stars
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