I had a dream about two weeks before seeing this. Some reviews were out and I was doing some reading. That night in my dream I was apart of the cult/commune in the film. I tried to escape but was chased into the woods. John Hawkes was gaining fast when I woke up. I'm not against the idea of a commune (I love the idea of it in The Beach) but here we're approaching Elizabeth Smart levels. The film is about Martha who is played in a tour de force performance by Elizabeth Olsen. It's an Oscar worthy role. Marlene at a weak point in her life joins a commune. They call her Marcy May and all the women answer the phone under the guise of Marlene (hence the title). The leader is Patrick and he is a powerful man. Patrick can be kind but also rough. He speaks with a cleansing aura that explains why so many are brainwashed into following his words. The other members help him work his way into new followers. It's not about religion but just closed off society. John Hawkes plays Patrick convincingly in a marvelous performance.
Martha escapes the community at the beginning of the film. Her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) picks her up and brings Martha to her vacation home. Lucy and her husband Ted (Hugh Dancy) are decent folk but can't deal with the irrational behavior Martha projects. Martha has forgotten almost of societies norms. The film flashes back and forth between Martha's time with Lucy and the cult with ease. The audience is often puzzled on when the transition has just happened. Yet that it the greatness of it. Martha says "have you ever had that feeling you can't tell if something is a memory or a dream?" She is having trouble distinguishing her surroundings and the films invites the audience to feel the same. The ending is one of pure brilliance. MMMM's acting, direction, script, editing etc. are near flawless. It's plot is one to get the audience involved in. It's a truly great film. Elizabeth Olsen has a bright career ahead of her.
***1/2 out of ****
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