Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Martha Marcy May Marlene depicts a young girl who becomes a part of some sort of spiritual cult for two years, although “cult” is in this case an extrapolation on my part. (The end credits do, however, denominate some of the secondary actors as members of one.) The central character, Martha (renamed “Marcy May” by the group’s influential leader), has left it at the beginning of the film, fleeing its premises in upstate New York to her sister’s home closer to the city. Her history with them is told in flashbacks that establish a parallel to her newfound arrangement with her well-do-do family. In effect, the notion of her association with a cult may refer to both scenarios, neither of which is a stable comfort.

The film intertwines these narratives, past and present, in such a way that the viewer anticipates the two crashing together in climax, and my one complaint with the film is that this climax is both subtle and irresolute. This seems to be a common criticism levied against the film. Nonetheless, I was much more interested in Martha’s experience with the cult in the flashback sequences, and frustrated that her experience with it was not established in to a more conclusive narrative arc.

by Rumsey Taylor   on 23 Nov 2011 9:03 AM   Source: