Now this was merely a film I went to see through sheer intrigue after hearing it starred the youngest Olsen, Elizabeth. As an identical twin myself I held no illusion that growing up in the spotlight was an easy existence but I always harboured a secret desire to perhaps be an Olsen twin. This was of course when I was eleven and still enjoying repeats of Two of a Kind on Nickelodeon, before the girls grew up to be drug addled eccentrics. Enter their younger sister, a relative unknown until very recently in the land of showbiz, impeccably dressed and suddenly adored for her burgeoning acting talents. Well, as I have mentioned, intrigue dragged me to the cinema, as well as boredom, loneliness and a decent tip packet from my previous evening at the restaurant, all the reasons anyone would decide to go to the cinema alone I'll assume.
In reward, for my efforts of dressing and leaving the apartment on a cold February afternoon, I was granted with a film that held my attention and left me with my heart in my mouth and my head brimming with thoughts. A film that leaves any indelible impression on me as I walk from the cinema is a one that fully deserves praise, I could not quite shake this film from my psyche, this is only a good thing.
The film in a nutshell is about a girl who was a part of a cult for two years suddenly escapes and goes to stay with her sister, we gradually learn over the course of the film about her experiences within the cult and the deep effect it had on her. The effects are impenetrably deep as we learn that Martha, her real name, is a damaged shell of a person. Mid-way through the film her past and her actions are thrown into question when she quietly asks her sister 'Do you ever wonder if what you remember is a memory or a dream?'
What we learn about the cult is, that it is run by a charismatic intense bearded individual, who has managed to amass a following of lonely aimless people to live on a farm, and exist by his own rules and machinations. Pretty typical cult so to speak. It's clear that the reason these people stay in his thrall and follow his rules is because they are all happy to be a part of something. They share their thoughts and feelings together, eat and work and play silly songs on guitars together. You can never be truly alone in a place like that and it is an idyllic enticing existence for someone who is lonely and feels without purpose or meaning. Then there is the power of the leader, Patrick, with his rugged attractive looks and his enigmatic doctrine seems to hold a seductive power over the women of his group, in particular he seems to show a shine to Martha, whom he renames Marcy May, as he does all of the women in the cult. It's entirely probable that he uses his seductive ways on each and every member of the cult but Martha seems particularly entranced and connected to him.
We also view Martha's readjustment whilst living with her sister which shows the deep marks that the cult left on her way of life, as well her constantly bruised legs. Her sister believes that once she has slept off whatever experience she had, then she'll be fine and is under the impression Martha simply ran off with her boyfriend for two years and didn't bother to call. It becomes apparent this isn't the case, as Martha's increasingly erratic behaviour begins to drain her reserves of patience and irritate her husband to no end.
It seems that perhaps Martha is confusing her reality with her past, as we see the direct effects of her recollections on her present, as the film seamlessly intercuts clips of her past throughout the fim. This can be disconcerting for the viewer to keep track but it also allows us to acknowledge that Martha's memories are having a very real impact on her and as she gradually becomes more paranoid we learn more sinister aspects of the cult. Patrick 'cleanses' the women of the cult by drugging and raping them, this does not frighten Martha off, in fact we see her preparing a young girl for the experience. But it becomes clear that anyone who could endanger the existence of the commune is dealt with violently. It's because of this Martha eventually flees and fears for her life.
What makes the film a truly chilling and interesting experience is that it doesn't spell this out to us. We are simply shown Martha's past and her increasing paranoia and as a viewer we come to the realisation she won't be able to escape so easily and the end sequence of the film leaves an ambiguously chilling question for the viewer to answer. Was it all in her head? Was it real?
It's rare for me to fully invest in any actor's performance having known about their previous works, their fame outside of their films, their general demeanour and attitudes to their crafts. I easily judge and consider an actor to be good or bad dependent on how well I can invest in the character they are portraying, do I believe in their existence? This is of course much easier when I haven't seen the actor/actress before, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate good work when I see it, I have seen the likes of Michael Fassbender in a godawful Sky One drama and Sam Rockwell in bloody awful Cowboys and Aliens, this by no means detracts from their incredible performances in the likes of Shame and Moon respectively, I believed in their characters and I have to say I believe Martha. I know I keep referring to her by name but she seems to have left a deep impression on me.
We can see that she is clearly an intelligent quiet girl and it doesn't seem to make sense to some how a two year stint in a cult can damage her so much but I found it so easy to invest in her. Everything about her is youthful and delicate, from her beautiful appearance to her desire to crawl into bed with someone just to be close and stave off loneliness. She's young, has no direction, no purpose in life, she has a head full of strong good ideals but also a empty cavern of self doubt and loneliness, which the cult, in particular Patrick preyed upon. Elizabeth Olsen's performance was simply heartbreaking as she tried to battle with her own emotions but masked the pain brimming from her eyes. A very mature and controlled performance worthy of all the accolades and attention she has recieved and of course far too controversial and interesting for a sniff at the Oscars.
Speaking of which the editing in this film deserves a lot of credit, the intercutting of action throughout the film worked incredibly well. There was also a somewhat distinctly subtler lighting work in Martha's recollections giving some a more vibrant coloured hue perhaps to enhance the imprint of the fact that they were mere memories. Perhaps that was just how I felt as I watched the film but it seemed to make an impact on my memory of it.
As far as films go it's rare for me to find myself so caught up and enthralled by the end in such a way. This was a confident and masterfully composed psychological thriller from a first time director and highly worth a viewing for anyone.
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