Martha Marcy May MarleneMovie Reviews

Poster art for "Martha Marcy May Marlene."

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Must Go!
Written October 25, 2011
DId I pee my pants last night? Yes. If that isn't a glowing endorsement, I don't know what is!

by crampmystyletv

Just in time for Halloween, comes a new feel good family rom-com, Martha Marcy May Marlene Martha Mother May I. What a romp! I just saying on Friday how much I missed T.G.I.F. The universe has heard my cries because guess who is the star of this comedic spook-fest? No, not Dave Coulier. Although I know, I know, I have been anxiously awaiting a comeback too. None other than the youngest Olsen twin! Elizabeth Olsen! Yes, that's right, she ain't no twin at all! Just a regular sister with the same face as the twin ones. And just like the twins who played baby Michelle in the T.G.I.F. anchor "Full House", this little Olsen can really bring the laughs! Just like baby Michelle's famous tagline "You got it dude", their sister has hilarious soon-to-be taglines like "We have to leave, we have to get out of here." I mean, can't you see that on a tee shirt? She has the comic timing of Mary-Kate and the hilarious improv skills of Ashley, peppered with the bedroom eyes of John Stamos.
- 4 out of 7 found this review helpful.
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Must Go!
Written November 16, 2011

by
- 3 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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Written November 6, 2011
Beautiful if shallow

by hobbes3

Gorgeous cinematography and well acted. I realize it's trying to leave much of what actually happened up to the viewer, but I still would have liked a little more depth. An incredible debut by Elizabeth Olson. We will definitely be seeing more of her. (During awards season no doubt.)
- 4 out of 6 found this review helpful.
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Written November 20, 2011

by Annegirl1910
- 3 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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Must Go!
Written November 15, 2011
A Worthwhile Thriller!

by dramaqueen63

I enjoyed this psychological thriller and felt like it was money well spent. I read the reviews from others and it will appeal more to those folks with substance and serious movie goers who are used to "artsy films". If you gravitate toward films for the excitement junkie you probably will find this film boring. I found it to be a worthwhile thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and I loved the ending! Elizabeth Olsen will quickly make a name for herself in the movie industry.
- 4 out of 6 found this review helpful.
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Written November 16, 2011
Martha Marcy May Marlene

by touchofevil59

This is the story of a woman who trys to find her way in life but does not seem to fit in anywhere. Martha escapes from the cult she was living in for two years and is taken in by her sister and her sisters fiance. From the moment that Martha interacts with them you can see that she has already been brain washed by the cult and thinks what her ssis ter and her fiance are doing is wrong. Elizebeth Olsen gives a powerful performance as a damaged person who has no idea what to do and is unable to ask for help. John Hawkes is wonderful as the cult leader who seems caring and sympathetic but ultimately is using his power to break his follwers and have them submit to his will. Sarah Paulson plays Marthas sister who desperatly wants to help her but finds it a very difficult task. The ending I will say is one that most people probably will not like, but I feel that the amibiguity of it fit with how the rest of the movie was.
- 15 out of 27 found this review helpful.
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So-so
Written October 23, 2011
Martha Marcy May Marlene

by

The young female star is pretty and appealing, but the film was dull and shallow about cults, family and ordinary middle class life, with mediocre film-making in pacing, color, sets, cinematography and script.
- 14 out of 25 found this review helpful.
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So-so
Written November 10, 2011
Acting was fantastic, but I don't like to be left in the dark...

by nickiwalliser

I like answers to questions, and I don't care to be left hanging. That's how I felt most of the time while watching this film. I felt that the characters weren't giving the audience a good enough idea of what might have happened in the past (especially with Martha and her family). The acting was fantastic and I was on the edge of my seat during certain scenes.

The film was very eery, and that aspect was done very well. I wasn't pleased with the ending and I feel they could have left off on a different note. I still have too many un-answered questions. It's funny, because several people left during the film because they must have been offended. Yes, there are some offensive scenes, but nothing out of the ordinary. Overall, not bad.
- 5 out of 7 found this review helpful.
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Written November 6, 2011
Well-acted, intense, creepy but good!

by pie_panned

This low-budget, tightly shot, well-acted thriller appears to have been a great decision for the third Olsen sister. Very glad to see her come out with both barrels blazing and having bypassed all the trixie-ism her sisters have been famous for. I've often wondered how cults work their magic, and this film gives us good insight. There are some unanswered questions (how she hooks up with the cult in the first place) and some intended vagueness about her previous family life that drove her to join one, but it was intriguing and engaging and worth having paid regular price to see.
- 7 out of 11 found this review helpful.
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No
Written October 24, 2011
Very slow, spare, beautiful, and pretentious

by

I wanted to like this movie. I was raised in and near multiple cults, in Northern California. I love beautiful, dark, unconventional cinema, like Irreversible, or Tree of Life. But despite the genuinely fascinating subject matter (rape-cult victim), the director seemed more interested in close-ups of Elizabeth Olsen's notably beautiful face than providing such mundane conventions as, say, a plot arc. Or an ending.

I get that there is an interesting tension between what is good and bad about the rape-cult lifestyle and what is good and bad about Martha's sister's conventional family/career-oriented lifestyle. But the direction of the film wants us to pay attention to the tension of Martha being ready to snap, and--either way--he refuses to deliver.

Standing at the exit, listening to exiting conversations, I heard a lot of people making polite, positive comments. Or confused comments. No raves.

This is the Sundance film we're supposed to like. But it's just not that good.
- 19 out of 34 found this review helpful.
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Must Go!
Written November 27, 2011
Killer Film

by NYC Movie Man

Spine-tingling exploration of a fractured psyche with a hypnotic performance from Elizabeth Olsen. I'm quite certain she will get an Oscar nomination. First-time director Sean Durkin does an incredible job. He's a huge new talent -- the next Martin Scorsese.
- 12 out of 20 found this review helpful.
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Written November 6, 2011
Interesting story, unsatisfying ending

by jmm922

Spoiler alert. The ending kind of leaves you hanging a bit, but I didn't mind too much as I enjoyed the ride. Held my interest and suspenseful. Acting was great. Left me wondering what else was to happen and what else may have happened to that poor girl.
- 18 out of 31 found this review helpful.
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So-so
Written November 11, 2011
It's Watchable

by HenryS70

It's interesting, but boring at the same time. It's not a movie I'd recommend to anyone. There's a part of the movie where the screen fades to black, and I thought to myself, "hmmm, I wouldn't be surprised if this it the type of movie that just starts the ending credits of the movie where it looks like there still more movie to watch". Well, the credits didn't show up that time, but I was right about how the movie would end. It's the type of movie where your watching, and then all of a sudden the end credits pop up, movies over even though it felt like the story in the movie was not finished. Best part of the movie was the acting and the attractiveness of the main character. The story was lacking.

Perhaps I should end this review the same way the movie ended. OK, the story in the movie left much to be desired because...The End.
- 15 out of 25 found this review helpful.
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Written October 31, 2011
Creepy Cinema

by moviemonster

This was the first film in a long time (not since Sweeney Todd) that my sleep was disturbed after seeing a movie. Martha Mary May Marlene was a wonderful showcase for the Olson Twin's younger sister, Elizabeth, whose tour de force performance makes this film particularly noteworthy. The unanswered questions, beautifully lit scenes, and supporting cast made this an unsettling, but worthwhile film.
- 18 out of 31 found this review helpful.
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Oh No!
Written November 16, 2011
BLAH

by

Barely mediocre. As I'm sure you've heard, the WORST ending to a movie I've ever seen! They say not to spoil the ending in this review. HA HA HA There is no ending.
- 15 out of 25 found this review helpful.
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