Jim3k
11-13-2011, 02:42 AM
Wow. This is a brilliantly acted but small psychological study. It is an anti-cult film focusing on a young woman in her early 20s. She has been part of a commune led by a not yet Charles Manson type who is played with smiling, friendly menace by John Hawkes of "Winter's Bone" fame. Hawkes is rapidly becoming the Harry Dean Stanton of today. He's a fine character actor who is, well, plain ugly. But his power on the screen is unmistakable.
The lead, MMMM, is played by the littlest Olsen sister, Elizabeth, 22. And, much like Winter's Bone's Jennifer Lawrence, we are faced with an amazing new acting talent. This is only Elizabeth's third film (one was a TV movie), so the verisimilitude she provides is unexpectedly terrific. Even so, this is far different from Winter's Bone. She has four names because she is given a new one by Hawkes.
The movie, directed by T. Sean Durkin, moves seamlessly between the present and the past two years where she has been assimilated, not by the Borg, but by Hawkes' commune-cum-cult. She has escaped to the present, carrying severe psychological baggage. Durkin's flash-back, flash-forward direction slowly leads us to the reasons she has withdrawn and how she became damaged, even though part of her believes she is a teacher and a leader. Her sister and brother-in-law must cope with her asocial behavior; she no longer knows how to function in normal society. In one scene she hears the married couple making love and, genuinely believing she is welcome to that event, enters their bedroom with predictable results.
This movie ultimately leaves the viewer hanging, which is both a strength and a weakness. I recommend it only to adults who are willing to agonize with her. She does make you care. Olsen is a real beauty and manages to show off much of it. That alone is almost worth the price. But the offset is her badly wounded self and her lack of skill in dealing with her pain. She becomes figuratively mute when asked where she's been for two years.
It is R rated for partial nudity and some violence, including a violation. So it's not for everyone. Still, Olsen's acting is very powerful and Hawkes a very persuasive cult leader.
The lead, MMMM, is played by the littlest Olsen sister, Elizabeth, 22. And, much like Winter's Bone's Jennifer Lawrence, we are faced with an amazing new acting talent. This is only Elizabeth's third film (one was a TV movie), so the verisimilitude she provides is unexpectedly terrific. Even so, this is far different from Winter's Bone. She has four names because she is given a new one by Hawkes.
The movie, directed by T. Sean Durkin, moves seamlessly between the present and the past two years where she has been assimilated, not by the Borg, but by Hawkes' commune-cum-cult. She has escaped to the present, carrying severe psychological baggage. Durkin's flash-back, flash-forward direction slowly leads us to the reasons she has withdrawn and how she became damaged, even though part of her believes she is a teacher and a leader. Her sister and brother-in-law must cope with her asocial behavior; she no longer knows how to function in normal society. In one scene she hears the married couple making love and, genuinely believing she is welcome to that event, enters their bedroom with predictable results.
This movie ultimately leaves the viewer hanging, which is both a strength and a weakness. I recommend it only to adults who are willing to agonize with her. She does make you care. Olsen is a real beauty and manages to show off much of it. That alone is almost worth the price. But the offset is her badly wounded self and her lack of skill in dealing with her pain. She becomes figuratively mute when asked where she's been for two years.
It is R rated for partial nudity and some violence, including a violation. So it's not for everyone. Still, Olsen's acting is very powerful and Hawkes a very persuasive cult leader.