Martha Marcy May Marlene

Lucy (Sarah Paulson) and her husband Ted (Hugh Dancy) are astonished when Lucy's sister Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) suddenly shows up at their Connecticut summer home after years of no contact. The young woman seems extremely disturbed and seems unable to follow simple social conventions. Although Ted in particular has an increasing problem with Martha's presence, Lucy tries everything to get closer to her estranged sister again and find out where she's been for the past few years. But what Martha has actually been going through in the seemingly peaceful rural commune from which she fled, Lucy can't even guess at that point...

Martha Marcy May Marlene is truly not light fare. Sean Durkin, who makes his feature directorial debut with this drama, tells the somewhat unwieldy story in a convoluted manner at a very leisurely pace. On the one hand, this ensures that the film's underlying ominous mood quickly captures viewers who engage with the difficult production and doesn't let go until the end. In this case, it also becomes clear what a great performance lead actress Elizabeth Olsen delivers. Olsen, who also makes her feature film debut here, plays the various facets of her character with tremendous intensity. Whether in the flashbacks, which show how Martha at first seems to have found happiness in the deceptive idyll of the country commune, then becomes more and more gripped by fear and finally flees in total despair and panic, or in the scenes in which she tries to free herself from her fear and find her way back to normal life at her sister's, Elizabeth Olsen makes the film a real experience, at least in terms of acting.

Some scenes showing what Martha experienced at the commune are quite hard to take, due in part to the intense acting of John Hawkes (Winter`s Bone). While the already very gloomy atmosphere of the drama is intensified by this, one looks for cheering up moments in vain. So Martha Marcy May Marlene does not offer good entertainment in the classical sense. A ponderous pace and a story that only exists in fragments further complicate the film's viewing. But as an intense character study of a broken young woman, the film can convince all along the line thanks to the great leading actress alone. For those who like to dare to watch a bit more bulky independent cinema from America, this drama can be recommended.

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp