Film Review: MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE (2011)

Writer/Director: Sean Durkin
Running time: 98 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama/Thriller
UK Release date: 3^rd February 2012

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 6^th January 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Very highly critically acclaimed; I couldn’t really miss this one out when it came up in the TV listings this week. A very interesting film; one that will certainly make you think; and also noteworthy for the performance of Elizabeth Olsen, which is quite excellent I might add. Here’s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

We begin with Martha (Elizabeth Olsen), aka Marcy May, leaving the commune where she has lived for the past two years. She makes it to the nearest town where she phones her sister, Lucy (Sarah Paulson), who comes and takes her to here home by a lake, about three hours’ drive away. It turns out this is a holiday home for Lucy and her husband, Ted (Hugh Dancy); they usually live and work in New York City. As time passes we learn, via flashback, about Martha’s life in the commune. How the leader, Patrick (John Hawkes), used his influence to get everyone to bend to his will, and how there was a much darker side to things than might appear on the surface. All this has had a profound affect on Marcy and it soon begins to show itself… has she really broken away?

It’s all filmed with quite stark colours which, I think, gives more realism to the storyline. I have to praise Elizabeth Olsen for a tremendous performance; she made the part of Marcy very believable. I also thought John Hawkes played the manipulative Patrick very well also and Sarah Paulson did a more than decent job of the older sister, Lucy. I usually put something about how a film made me feel at this point; but I’m still struggling to figure that out. The ending is left quite open to interpretation which leaves me in (at least) two minds as to how I feel about it. It’s still well worth a look if you get the chance… I’d certainly be interested in what everyone else makes of it.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.5/10.

IMDb Score: 7.0/10 (based on 21,043 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1441326/

MetaScore: 76/100: (Based on 38 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 90/100 (based on 185 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 71/100 (based on 15,636 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/martha_marcy_may_marlene/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
Watts: [as Martha runs away] Marcy! Marcy May! Where ya goin'?

Lucy: I'm her only family, you know. She needs to know that she can depend on me right now. It's complicated.
Ted: As complicated as it might be, we can't ignore the fact that her behaviour is fucking insane.

Martha: [to Lucy] Just because we're sisters doesn't mean we need to talk about everything that comes into your head!

LINKS:
(NOTE: All links were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/marthamarcymaymarlene/
Trailer:

Film Review: WINTER’S BONE (2010)

Co-Writer/Director: Debra Granik
Running time: 100 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller
UK Release date: 17^th September 2010

Watched on Sky+ Friday 26^th August 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have been looking forward to seeing this film for about a year now. So many good things have been said about it and I wanted to see for myself what all the fuss was about. Of course it didn’t play at my local cinema, and it only had a very limited showing at the nearest multiplex… at a time that wasn’t convenient for me (of course). And so a year later it finally airs on TV and, at last, I get to see this much anticipated film. I don’t think the wait helped, it meant that, little by little, small details about the plot came to my ear and this, ultimately, affected my enjoyment of it. But more of that later, here’s a brief summary first.

Ree Dolly lives in the Ozark Mountains with her younger brother, Sonny, her younger sister, Ashlee and her sick mother. Her father, Jessop, has been gone for some time, and so it’s up to the 17 year old Ree to hold the family together. One day the Sheriff turns up and tells Ree that her father has been arrested, but has posted bail. As part of the bond he has put up their house and their land. She has about a week to find him before he’s due to appear in court. Ree sets off to talk to the close-knit community but gets short shrift at every turn. Even Jessop’s brother, Teardrop, refuses to help her, but Ree is determined and continues looking. Nobody is prepared to step forward and Ree ends up pushing to too far, so far in fact that she puts her own live in danger. But she has an unexpected ally… Of course, I would not be thanked for continuing at this point, so I’ll leave it here. The Spoiler Police have already been making inquiries in the area and I don’t want them to find me.

The picture deliberately has a very stark look to it and this adds to the bleakness of both the surroundings and the situation Ree finds herself in. I also like the music chosen for the film, some traditional Ozark songs fit the mood perfectly. The film is notable for a tremendous performance from Jennifer Lawrence as Ree, I thought she was outstanding. Also worthy of note was John Hawkes as Teardrop; I thought he put in a good turn too. Lauren Sweetser was good as Ree’s friend Gail and the children, Isaiah Stone as Sonny and Ashlee Thompson as Ashlee were also very good. Finally, honourable mentions go to both Dale Dickey as Merab and Garret Dillahunt as Sheriff Baskin.

The plot has quite a slow pace and it is very much a character driven piece, so it may not be to everyone’s taste. I enjoyed it, although it did lose me a little towards the middle; having said that it’s well worth sticking with. There are a couple of scenes that some people may find a bit disturbing, but, I’m told, these things really go on. It’s quite a serious film, addressing some very dark issues, but one I found ultimately did deliver. The performance from Jennifer Lawrence is what holds it together and I must admit to being enthralled by it… Definitely recommended.

My Score: 8.4/10.

IMDb Score: 7.3/10 (based on 32,855 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1399683/

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94/100 (based on 158 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10012136-winters_bone/

FAVOURITE QUOTE:
Sonny: [on gutting a squirrel] Do we eat these parts?
Ree: [grimly] Not yet...

LINKS:
Official Site: http://www.wintersbonemovie.com/
Trailer: