TIFF 2011: Martha Marcy May Marlene

To some, the line between religion and cult is somewhat ill-defined, existing as a blurry demarcation somewhere between Bible Belt stump speech and a blood-soaked malediction echoing in a black-earth grotto. But Sean Durkin’s mournful Martha Marcy May Marlene is concerned with starker contrasts, juxtaposing blood relations with religious pseudo-families, and free-spirited commune life with the aggravation of urban existence.

For two years, Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) has been deep in the countryside, living with one of those cults that seems halfway between white trash and the Amish, like meth heads squatting in an 18^th century farmhouse. When the group’s leader, Patrick (John Hawkes), begins to reveal that his Svengali intensity is built upon the foundation of a Rob Zombie villain, Martha escapes. She’s taken in by her sister, Lucy (Sarah Paulson), and Lucy’s new husband, Ted (Hugh Dancy). But Martha refuses to tell the couple about her ordeal. As a result, when she begins acting like a feral child prowling Woodstock, Lucy and Ted find themselves consumed by frustration and hostility.

The power of Martha Marcy May Marlene comes from Durkin’s refusal to overplay key moments, relying instead on mood and atmosphere to build tension. Better yet, the film’s structure draws meaning from the juxtaposition of key scenes. Contrasted with the cold drudgery of “normal” life, Patrick’s cult seems to exude an almost painful warmth, like a hug that breaks a rib. And there’s an innocence to Martha’s pained naivete that’s as endearing as it is frustrating. It seems counter-intuitive that Durkin manages to draw such strength from subtlety, but that’s what makes the film so appealing.

Here’s the trailer: