Sundance 2011 seemed to be the year of the woman. Brit Marling walked away with a double whammy of attention for “Another Earth” and “Sound of My Voice” while Elizabeth Olsen earned breakout sensation status for her turn in “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” and for most of us getting our first look now, it seems pretty clear why.
Olsen leads the film in the role of Martha, a young woman haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia who struggles to reassimilate with her family after fleeing a cult. The film seems exist in a state somewhere between dream and reality and writer/director Sean Durkin has lensed this thing beautifully. The cast is rounded by Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy and a creepy-as-fuck John Hawkes. The trailer itself is wickedly compelling and haunting, Olsen looks be a solid anchor for the pic and the reliable word from our man at Sundance is that it’s a stunner.
“Martha Marcy May Marlene” will compete in the Un Certain Regard category at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival and will hit theaters on October 7th. Check out the trailer below (or in HD at Apple).
