Martha Marcy May Marlene

I actually really liked this movie a lot more then I thought I would because I normally don’t like movies in this genre- it’s really well made, has a great cast who all did a great job and the story is good BUT the ending completely sucked. She never told her sister and her brother in law what happened to her (I don’t know why because if she had done so they would’ve been MUCH more understanding) since she didn’t tell them they just thought she was a crazy bum and the ending made no sense either. It all starts off with the night before... she was sleeping on their couch having a nightmare/flashback of what happened to her while she was in the cult (the leader of the cult continuously rapped her and the other girls) her nightmare went back to one of the times she was rapped- she was tossing and turning in her sleep so her brother in law went to check up on her touched her arm and asked if she was okay and she completely freaked out pushed him and ran up the stairs he went after her and she ended up pushing him down the stairs which resulted in her and her sister getting into a big argument then the next morning the sister apologizes for what she said last night and says that they booked a place for her to get help and that her appointment was tomorrow morning then says that they’re going into town in an hour and asks if she’ll be ready by then she says yes and goes swimming then it goes forward to them riding in the car the girl thinks the cult leader is following them but that wasn’t the case then they kept driving and then it ended..... like WUT..? First off the #1 issue of this movie (girl being in a cult for two years, escaping after many failed attempts and going to her sisters) was never resolved like I said before she never even tells her fam what actually happened to her and second we have no idea what happened to her afrer that, just them riding in a car to go to the store but then it ends. Had the ending been good and made sense this movie would’ve been amazing. If you’re fine with watching a movie that leaves you with more questions then answers and doesn’t resolve issues then be my guest and watch it, because other then the bad ending it was a really good movie.

Put newcomer Elizabeth Olsen on the list of brilliant young actresses filling the movie screen these days. In this psychological thriller, twentyish Martha Marlene (Olsen) leaves home after her mother dies. We don't know why, but she severs contact with her older sister, Lucy (excellent Sarah Paulson) who is married to Ted (Hugh Dancy). Somehow she ends up at a commune of sorts, headed by one of those Charles Manson types, but without the visible menace. Patrick (good as usual John Hawkes) clearly runs the show for his collective of young women and young men. What happens to them when they get older? We do know that occasionally children are born, but against all odds they are always boys. Hmmm.After Martha (now renamed Marcy May by Patrick) is sexually abused, she decides to slip away into the woods. She finds her way into town and calls her sister on a pay phone. It's been 2 years but Martha doesn't know where she is. She thinks it's in upstate New York. Huh? Lucy, at their vacation house in Connecticut, goes to pick up Martha and returns with her to their picture perfect house on a picture perfect lake. Their primary residence is in New York City where they work.Martha drifts in and out of rational behavior, often reverting to scenes of her experience at the compound. This gives us some insight of her plight, but we're never quite sure of her state of instability. I found it unrealistic that she wouldn't remember basic manners or that skinny dipping in front of your just-met brother-in-law would be frowned upon. After all she was only away for 2 years, but in this time it seems reality has left her. This leads to paranoia as to whether Patrick and the gang would go after her. This may be credible as one of her flashbacks involves a random and horrific home invasion perpetrated by Patrick and the girls (more Manson comparisons).While unusual endings are to be expected in film, this one left a bad taste in my mouth. The fine performances are worth watching. Technically the movie is excellent. Great visuals, wonderful cinematography and a creepy score help add to the tension. Ultimately however, the film leaves much to be desired. There are too many unanswered questions and not enough clues to help the viewer formulate a hypothesis. See it for the acting, see it for a remarkable performance by Elizabeth Olsen but don't expect satisfaction.The Blu ray transfer is 1080p with a 2.40:1 aspect ratio. I didn't see this film in the theater previously so I'm not sure how much of the post production work mimics the original, but I thought many of the scenes unusually soft with heightened greys and blacks. I suspect this was the director's intent but it is noticeable. Other scenes in brightly lit rooms are excellent including facial close-ups, kitchen appliances and the like. Audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and is generally solid. The score opens up the rear speakers along with chirping crickets and other creatures adding to the creepy scenes.Extras include: Mary Last Scene (1080p, 13:36): Spotlight on Elizabeth Olson (1080p, 2:46): The Story (1080p, 3:41): The Making of Martha Marcy May Marlene (1080p, 3:09):A Conversation with the Filmmakers (1080p, 3:14): The Psyche of a Cult (1080p, 5:06): Marcy's Song Music Video by John Hawkes (1080p, 3:58): Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:25)Sneak Peeks (1080p, 13:12)

I read a few reviews on this film before I bought it that were critical of the plot and pace of the film. I decided to give it a go anyway and I'm really glad that I did. I found Martha Marcy May Marlene to be a very nice addition to my film collection and found that it was very successful in it's endeavour to be quite disturbing, unsettling and, at times, so creepy (mainly as a result of the cult leader). It may have helped that I watched this film when I was really in the mood for a quiet, thought-provoking film but the pacing was fine by me. I also actually liked the ambiguous cuts between past and present experiences as I think it gives the viewer a better experience of the damage that has been done to the lead character (played strongly by Elizabeth Olsen, who'd have thought it? An Olsen sister that can act and actually has some healthy meat on her).So overall, if you want a pacey thriller then you might not like this one. I'm not the first to admit that this particular film isn't for everyone. If you are up for a psychological thriller that revolves heavily around sustaining an eerie mood through a fairly simple, but effective, plot, then definitely give Martha Marcy May Marlene a go.

Olsen gives a good performance of someone suffering from the emotional and psychological effects of escaping a cult-like family commune where she has been previously abused both mentally and physically. Her married sister picks her up when she escapes but Olsen suffers constant flashbacks and finds it hard to cope with reality. Some interesting ideas raised about how best to live your life, but ultimately the film is too slow moving and lacks real drama.

I bought this blu ray a few years back.Pretty good film. Marks the acting debut of Elizabeth Olsen.I watched it all the way to the end.

Bought for Brady Corbett who I have been following since thunderbirds. He's good in this but his character is not good. The ending is one of those endings where we're left to decide what happens. Not a happy, cheery movie.

I really enjoyed this film because of the performances by Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes. As for the film itself, i don't think it is actually that good. 4 out of 5 purely for the acting