Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Duration: 102 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Sean Durkin
Stars: Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson and John Hawkes
IMDb score:
6,8 (58.495)
Releasedate: 10 June 2011
Martha Marcy May Marlene plot
"You can get away. But you can never escape."
Haunted by painful memories and mounting anxiety, Martha escapes a violent cult and returns home to live with her older sister Lucy and husband Ted. With no other family to fall back on, Martha desperately tries to adjust to Ted and Lucy's lifestyle. Nightmares about the cult that brainwashed her prevent her from reaching out to the only people who can save her. As Martha's isolation grows, her severe paranoia escalates.
Reviews & comments
FlorisV
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- 1859 messages
- 798 votes
No, this is not a thriller. If that was the intention, there were quite a few missed opportunities. Then they could have made it much clearer to what extent she was stalked after her escape, while now it seemed partly her own paranoia. That annoyingly monotonous soundtrack doesn't help enough either. It is now mainly a psychological drama in which you can see how damaged someone can be by such a cult. It is also sometimes annoying to just look because you often think: "just tell me what happened". All problems actually stem from a lack of communication. And partly because of this, it becomes increasingly difficult to always have sympathy for Martha, who seems to want to outsource all her problems to others for almost free without ever taking responsibility for herself. When I see all those insecure girls in such a sect, which are of course eagerly abused, I also think: gut gut, also towards the men, stay miles away from these kind of human wrecks, misery attracts misery. It's also unfortunate that it never really becomes clear why Martha went into a cult, although you do get some sketches of the relationship with her sister, who is clearly more adapted and has used to push her to become conventional and successful as well. This conflict (which can be extended to society as a whole) is hardly discussed further and that is again a missed opportunity. A bit strange sometimes is the way Martha is filmed, sometimes very focused on her breasts, for example when she is scrubbing (and yes she has a beautiful body). The most penetrating scene is by far what happens during that burglary and how carelessly it is talked about afterwards.
I don't feel like I've looked at a talented filmmaker's product, it could have been so much more. So many missed opportunities, but nevertheless a nice portrait of a wreck.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Film Pegasus (moderator films)
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- 31191 messages
- 5473 votes
Atmospheric film about the trauma of someone who has just escaped from a cult. Beautifully made and a strong Elizabeth Olsen in the lead. Appropriate music by the way that underlines the atmosphere. The film also focuses on the trauma and less on the cult itself. With the flashbacks we see little by little what lies behind the trauma. Although it never goes deep enough and it stays on the surface. Only gradually do you see the paranoia better, but then we are already a long way into the film.
Nicely made, but just a bit too floaty to really make an impression. The characters next to Olsen are less engaging and take the pace even more out of it. Good movie, but nothing more.
Translated from Dutch · View original
IH88
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- 9761 messages
- 3190 votes
“Marcy! Marcy May! Where ya goin'?”
Martha Marcy May Marlene is an excellent psychological drama with a nice ominous atmosphere and rock-solid acting. The story of a woman who has lived in a cult for a long time and one day knocks on the door of her sister and her husband is intriguing, and slowly you find out what happened to Martha.
The film has an ominous feel and an almost languid feel to it, and you actually get two stories in one. The scenes in the present with Martha and her sister, and the scenes in the past around Martha who is increasingly indoctrinated by the cult and especially Patrick (the fantastic Hawkes). I found the scenes in the present tense more interesting, especially because the bond between the sisters is well developed. Paulson and Olsen are two of my favorite actresses, and here they show why. The last scene in the car remains brilliant.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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