film: Martha Marcy May Marlene

Hype is a frustrating concept. I went into this movie with no more information than the title, synopsis, and cast. I think that might be the very best way to see a movie. If I'd read reviews, I would have seen the hype, I would have had sky-high expectations. I'd much rather have completely neutral expectations, neither positive nor negative. Yes, sometimes you will be disappointed, but then there are movies like the one I saw today, where you are just blown away, and so glad to have experienced it with a blank canvas of a mind.

Synopsis from cinemaclock.com: Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) escapes from a cult in rural New York and tries to reintegrate into a normal life with her sister, Lucy (Sarah Paulson). Lucy brings Martha to her Connecticut vacation home, where she and her husband Adam (Hugh Dancy) are trying to enjoy a few days away from their regular lives in the city. Martha constantly experiences chilling flashbacks and begins to lose her grip on reality. As the days pass and Martha's behavior becomes more and more erratic, it becomes clear that her time away from home may have had far more effects on her than initially believed.

The success of this movie largely rests on the shoulders of the lead actress, Elizabeth Olsen. If I'd had any concept of the hype, I would have known going in that she is the younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and that there has been tons of Oscar buzz around her performance. I am supremely thankful that I was oblivious to both those facts. I knew her name, and when she came onscreen, I knew what she looked like. That's it.

This is a quiet movie. It was described as a dramatic thriller and I was hoping for more emphasis on "drama" than "thrills". Really, it's light on either, but what there is has true impact. Horrible things happen so quietly that you can't figure out quite how to react. Olsen's performance is quiet, mostly. Martha's later self is subdued (mostly), which makes the contrast to the first flashback - when she was happy, bubbly - more jarring. Through the flashbacks you see the entirety of the descent to her present state of near-catatonic PTSD. Because the performance is so subtle, it feels like the character is embedded in Olsen's skin. There is next-to-no awareness of Elizabeth Olsen The Actress, because she is Martha Marcy May Marlene.

I'm glad Olsen is getting such rave reviews (as far as I've seen) for this role, because I can't wait to see more from her. She is gorgeous and lovely, but also so compelling and magnetic as an actress, it almost feels like she's right there in the room with you. Yes, I'm a fan. Deal with it.

(I can't help but realize I am only adding to the hype with this post. That is why I call it "frustrating" and not some other less forgiving adjective.)