I love independent films and have found a DC theater that runs just that! May be it's the story lines that get me; the alternative renditions of emotion; the artistry built into this particular mode of expression. Or may be I have a different scale of rating; an altered barometer of taste due to my childhood spent watching the classic movies where the era of censorship required imagination of the audience and creativity of the writers and directors to produce the overall message. Who knows. The point being -- I enjoy independent films.Will this explanation quell any discomfort on part of the reader in trusting my judgment? Probably not. But at least you know where I'm coming from.
My take:
Martha Marcy May Marlene plays like a case study of a college aged girl (though never enrolled) re-entering the everyday routine of WASP society after leaving a cult. You won't cry -- there is no emotional attachment to the characters. Instead, you just sit back and watch. You observe the characters functioning in their individual spheres of living that, from time to time, collide and -- like floating bubbles -- push back on one another, failing to understand the other's trajectory.
The movie has a "past - present" setting with current events running into past events marking Martha's initial entry and emotional shapings within the cult. It is best to view the past as snapshots. There is a piece of her first introduction, then initiation, and pinpointed events that stick out in her memory as she moves in the present. The viewer is left to connect the dots and, overall, the effect is done very well. You, the viewer, can sew together the pieces and imagination fills in the gaps. Each snapshot bleeds into the other, creating the sense of what happened to Martha.
Failures:
One: I still don't understand why she left the cult. Yes -- we know how she left (initial scene). Yes -- we see the event that shakes Martha out of the haze of cult-mentality. But the gap between these two scenes is too wide. There isn't enough of a stepping stone for the viewer to achieve full understanding, just a dim comprehension.
Two: The ending. I'm not going to elaborate (to avoid spoilers) but I'll just let you know that I thought the "artistry" move absolutely failed. It's not just me saying this -- the whole theater held their breathe for the subsequent scene to begin and, when the credits flashed on screen, I could almost sense the general exhale of "WTF." A collective WTF = director's artistry fail.
Favorite:
There is one scene (towards the end) where the two sisters stand looking at one another. Martha's on the way to the lake and her sister is raking the yard. Hardly any dialogue. One shot--yet you get the sense of two worlds. They exist in the same movie frame and yet you get the sense of two separate existences. Amazing.
Final Thought: The Olsen Sister
I walked out of the movie theater thinking -- Ashley or Mary Kate probably could have played the role just as well (although -- I've never seen them ever truly act). Olsen pulled off the character beautifully because her face is a canvas. She has this clean slated look with clear yet projecting eyes befitting the character. Yet -- so do the Olsen twins. Add the ability to speak without looking as if you're reading off of a teleprompter and you've basically nailed the role of Martha. Thus hangs the unanswered question: Could this have been the serious acting debut of Ashley (or Mary Kate) that was passed up? Eh. They still have their millions. Just not artistic (cinema) respect.
My take:
Martha Marcy May Marlene plays like a case study of a college aged girl (though never enrolled) re-entering the everyday routine of WASP society after leaving a cult. You won't cry -- there is no emotional attachment to the characters. Instead, you just sit back and watch. You observe the characters functioning in their individual spheres of living that, from time to time, collide and -- like floating bubbles -- push back on one another, failing to understand the other's trajectory.
The movie has a "past - present" setting with current events running into past events marking Martha's initial entry and emotional shapings within the cult. It is best to view the past as snapshots. There is a piece of her first introduction, then initiation, and pinpointed events that stick out in her memory as she moves in the present. The viewer is left to connect the dots and, overall, the effect is done very well. You, the viewer, can sew together the pieces and imagination fills in the gaps. Each snapshot bleeds into the other, creating the sense of what happened to Martha.
Failures:
One: I still don't understand why she left the cult. Yes -- we know how she left (initial scene). Yes -- we see the event that shakes Martha out of the haze of cult-mentality. But the gap between these two scenes is too wide. There isn't enough of a stepping stone for the viewer to achieve full understanding, just a dim comprehension.
Two: The ending. I'm not going to elaborate (to avoid spoilers) but I'll just let you know that I thought the "artistry" move absolutely failed. It's not just me saying this -- the whole theater held their breathe for the subsequent scene to begin and, when the credits flashed on screen, I could almost sense the general exhale of "WTF." A collective WTF = director's artistry fail.
Favorite:
There is one scene (towards the end) where the two sisters stand looking at one another. Martha's on the way to the lake and her sister is raking the yard. Hardly any dialogue. One shot--yet you get the sense of two worlds. They exist in the same movie frame and yet you get the sense of two separate existences. Amazing.
Final Thought: The Olsen Sister
I walked out of the movie theater thinking -- Ashley or Mary Kate probably could have played the role just as well (although -- I've never seen them ever truly act). Olsen pulled off the character beautifully because her face is a canvas. She has this clean slated look with clear yet projecting eyes befitting the character. Yet -- so do the Olsen twins. Add the ability to speak without looking as if you're reading off of a teleprompter and you've basically nailed the role of Martha. Thus hangs the unanswered question: Could this have been the serious acting debut of Ashley (or Mary Kate) that was passed up? Eh. They still have their millions. Just not artistic (cinema) respect.
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