cinema
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Now try saying that three times fast. Tongue-twisting title aside, MMMM (I like to sing it to that tune by The Crash Test Dummies) is an extremely assured piece of film-making from debut director Sean Durkin, with a star-making performace from Elizabeth Olsen in its lead role. Little details, like the clatter of pinecones on a roof, take on an eerie siginificance as Durkin masterfully messes with our perceptions, artfully cutting between Olsen's time in a cult under the sway of a quietly chilling John Hawkes (who seems to be cornering the market in charismatic indie villain types. See also: Winter's Bone), and the uneasy sanctuary she finds with her sister after her escape. At its heart this is a horror movie, but one that eschews the gory excesses of many recent hits for a subtle and lasting sense of unease. / Conor McDevitt
