Last night I finally got to see Sean Durkin‘s highly anticipated new film Martha Marcy May Marlene starring Elizabeth Olsen and it did not disappoint. The synopsis is as follows: Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) is the central figure of the film, a young woman who flees from an abusive cult in the Catskill Mountains that is led by an enigmatic leader, Patrick (John Hawkes). Lucy (Sarah Paulson), Martha’s older sister, receives a call from a pay phone one day from Martha, asking her to come and get her. Martha, who has been missing for two years, slowly begins to assimilate into her sister’s family, but her increasing paranoia leads her to believe that Patrick and his cult may still be watching her every move. The film features a powerhouse performance by Elizabeth Olsen, whose career is certified gold at this point, and director Sean Durkin’s telephone clearly must be ringing off the hook right now. MMMM is an incredible piece of work from Durkin, whose brilliant narrative raises some incredibly profound questions dealing with the nature of freedom, the power of memory, and the fragility of our own personal identities. Martha Marcy May Marlene is playing in select theaters now, and for more information on the film be sure to visit Fox Searchlight. For all FEELguide posts related to Martha Marcy May Marlene CLICK HERE.
