Four words you should know: Martha, Marcy, May and Marlene. This may look like a list of names for Jewish grandmothers, but it is actually the title of an independent film coming out in limited release on Oct. 21. Yes, that's the real name of the movie, "Martha Marcy May Marlene," not to be confused with... all other movies with more coherent titles. Despite the confusing name, it is the best film I have seen since the Academy Awards season ended eight months ago.
I attended an advanced screening of "Martha" last week at the Brattle Theater in Harvard Square. The movie is about a young woman named Martha who escapes from a cult and struggles to integrate back into conventional society. She moves into her older sister's summer house to try to lead a normal life but is haunted by the memories of what happened to her in the cult. The narrative weaves in flashback sequences of Martha's life before she escapes. The title comes from the three identities Martha is referred to at different points in the film: Marcy, May and Marlene.
I could write entire columns on the power of the plot, or the skill of rookie director Sean Durkin, but the most outstanding aspect of "Martha Marcy May Marlene" is its lead actress, Elizabeth Olsen. She is not only talented enough to play Martha, but Marcy, May and Marlene as well - although I doubt she got paid to play three different roles.
It is incredibly unfair that someone who graduated last year from New York Univerity's Tisch School of the Arts is capable of such a layered performance. Not unfair to me or to the movie?going public, but to the herd of young actresses under 35 looking for juicy parts who should be very, very worried. Olsen is the perfect combination of wholesome and daring. She reminds me of a better?looking version of Michelle Williams. If the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has any good sense left, it will give Olsen a hard look when selecting the nominees for Best Actress. She is that good in this role. Plus, she is really cute, and Meryl Streep is a little too old for my taste.
I suppose I have to thank two actresses who we all know and haven't really thought about lately. Elizabeth Olsen is the younger sister of Mary?Kate and Ashley Olsen, aka "the Olsen Twins," the dynamic duo who used to inspire tween girls around the country. The Olsen Twins haven't been in anything remotely relevant since their television show "So Little Time" (2001?2002) was canceled after one season on ABC Family. Their lack of relevance likely stems from the fact that adorable twin girls with no acting talent lose their charm post?puberty.
Nepotism, nonetheless, counts for a lot in our world. And as the saying goes, when famous twin girls past their prime have a younger sister, she is probably a good actress. OK, I just made that up. But in this instance, it works. So, I would formally like to express my gratitude to Mary?Kate and Ashley for being famous and making it easier for their younger sister to become an actress. Who knows, without their influence, maybe Elizabeth would have become a very cute dental hygienist.
Make sure you see Elizabeth when "Martha Marcy May Marlene" comes out in a few weeks. It will likely be playing at the Kendall Square Cinema I wrote about in last week's column. And if you are inspired by curiosity to see more of Elizabeth Olsen, be sure to check out her other two indie films, "Silent House" and "Peace, Love & Misunderstanding," set to release in the coming months.
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