An Olsen sister comes into her own in psychological thriller

Here’s something I never thought I’d write: One of the best films of the year is the debut of a 29-year-old writer-director that stars the younger sister of the Olsen twins. But watch “Martha Marcy May Marlene” and try not to be swept up in its dark, disconcerting world, one in which even the pristine home of a beloved family member can be uncomfortable, even terrifying. Its first few minutes are nearly silent. We watch a typical day at a small farm in the Catskill Mountains, its residents going about their business with unthinking purpose.

There’s plenty for us to think about, however. Why do the men and boys eat their dinner before the girls, who peek in the room with one eye, ready to move as soon as it’s their turn? Why are some of the women dressed like Amish mothers, while others wear provocative cutoff jeans? And why does one of those young women tiptoe quietly out of the house early one morning, breaking into a run as soon as she’s reached the forest that lies just beyond it?

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ON SCREEN
‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’
» Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy
» Director: Sean Durkin
» Rated: R for disturbing violent and sexual content, nudity and language
» Running time: 120 minutes

The answers are slowly revealed, though much remains a secret in “Martha Marcy May Marlene.” Some things we can never understand, its young filmmaker knows. This psychological thriller evidences a wisdom many veteran filmmakers never have.

Elizabeth Olsen is the many-monikered young woman of the title. Martha, as she was christened, is the girl who escapes from what some might call a commune and others a cult. She gets to the nearest town and calls the relative (Sarah Paulson) she hasn’t seen in years.

Martha won’t tell her or her husband (Hugh Dancy) where she’s been — or maybe she can’t. Martha was so young when she joined that little community that she doesn’t know what’s normal and what’s not. She jumps naked into the lake beside their vacation home. She has a strange ease with her sexuality, which only adds to the tension in the house. Slowly, through flashbacks, we see what her old life was like — and learn why she can no longer return to the girl she once was.

Olsen’s performance is remarkable, one of the happiest discoveries of the year. Durkin makes her work hard. This isn’t a film in which two women argue melodramatically, revealing their deepest feelings through tears at the end. The viewer has to work for the little fulfillment to be found.

Just as good is John Hawkes, as the magnetic leader of the group, the man who doesn’t have to tell the girls they must sleep with him because the ones he’s already had and abused do it for him. The actor and the character alike are compelling. This isn’t the stereotypical cult leader who uses punishment to push.

Nothing about “Martha Marcy May Marlene” is like the movie of the week you might expect from the material. That’s why it’s one of the year’s best surprises.

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