Martha Marcy May Marlene

Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes, Hugh Dancy

Dir & Scr. Sean Durkin

So, another day, another movie that was excellent but I really wouldn’t want to see again. It’s my perverse goal, for 2012, to see as many of these movies as possible. Which makes a recommendation very difficult – I’m completely conflicted. It’s very well acted, interesting, thoughtfully shot and beautifully paced. But it’s also creepy and disturbing and unsettling and, at times, icky. So, yeah – see this film, just don’t blame it on me!

Martha Marcy May Marlene (the most challenging film title to remember when asking for your ticket) is a psychological drama about a young woman, Martha (Olsen), who seeks help from her estranged sister (Paulson) to escape a sticky situation and her attempts to reintegrate, mostly unsuccessfully, into normal life. Err, that’s vague, I know. I don’t really want to give too much away – I would argue the less you know going in, the better the movie probably is. Many reviews and descriptions give away the whole ballgame and that bugs me immensely. There’s no great twist or reveal here. But the drama that comes from Martha’s memories and flashbacks really does creep up on the audience, becoming more and more disturbing.

This feature is Durkin’s directorial debut and, boy, what a debut. The movie really does feel likes it’s in the hands of a much more seasoned operator. It’s smart and watchable (despite the subject matter) and incredibly well played out. It’s being called a thriller by many, but I think that label is a little misleading – it conjures up more action than this film possesses. Chiller would be a more fitting genre, if it was actually a proper genre and not one I just made up. I found the end a tad unsatisfying at the time, but I think it’s less of a problem after the movie has sat with you and festered for a couple of days.

The acting on offer here is truly excellent. This is only Olsen’s second feature and she is expected to carry the film, which she does with absolute ease. She may well be the younger sister of the truly awful Olsen twins, but please don’t let that put you off – she obviously received all the talent genes in the Olsen clan. Martha is a complicated lass, for reasons that will become clear, and Olsen plays all aspects of her fractured and troubled personality with wonderful honesty, vulnerability and edge. Hawkes, who plays the charismatic and sinister Patrick, is outstanding, as ever. Paulson, as Martha’s older sister Lucy, is also excellent. The argument on the stairs between Martha and Lucy towards the end of the film, when their relationship is truly becoming untenable, is heart-breakingly brilliant.

Martha Marcy May Marlene is not the film I expected it to be – it’s a heck of a lot better. It’s an unsettling look at psychological manipulation and the scars that remain. It’s unnerving and disturbing, perhaps too much for some. But I’m very glad I saw it – Olsen’s performance alone is well worth the outing.

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Martha: I am a teacher and a leader.