Martha Marcy May Marlene and Jeff, Who Lives At Home are two films that take a look at the people in their twenties and early thirties who haven’t quite found themselves. No, they aren’t hippies but the characters are definitely people that go through life in a way that society doesn’t always agree with.
Martha Marcy May Marlene stars Elizabeth Olsen and shows the aftermath of her time spent in what was trying to be a self-sustaining commune. Ms. Olsen plays M^4 as a normal girl whose madness is gradually revealed as the details of her time in the commune surface in the days after her escape.
At first, I wasn’t sure if it was Elizabeth Olsen’s performance or the masterful arranging of the facts that made the movie riveting, but now believe both are responsible.
Martha Marcy May Marlene is definitely not something that you should watch when you are coming down from a high be it from alcohol or whatever you “use” to get your kicks (a friend of mine did this and fell asleep ten minutes into the movie). The story does moves forward at a very slow pace which makes the fact that it IS a thriller even more amazing.
John Hawkes plays an equally disturbing role as leader of the commune which is heightened by his extreme weight. Seriously, he is so thin in this movie. It is insane. He is in the commune by a group of guys that includes Brady Corbet in his second high profile movie this year. Like I said in my review of Melancholia, you should expect to see more of him soon.
8/10 STARS
The Duplass brothers paint a very accurate picture of a middle class family in Jeff, Who Lives At Home. Jeff, played by Jason Segel, lives at home and has to go out to fix his mother’s broken wooden shutter. The rest of his day plays out like an adult children’s book. While on his journey, Jeff is distracted by his brother’s problems and run-ins with fate that lead to the most complete ending of any movie the Duplass’ have made.
I thought the movie was charming and funny but not as funny as the audience seemed to think. They laughed out loud at many scenes that were more poignant than laugh-out loud but that might be because of Jason Segel He just seems to make people laugh regardless of what emotion he is actually portraying.
Ed Helms is excellent as the brother that just doesn’t get it. He is just a salesman and his feeling of success and superiority is unmerited by societal standards. Their mom, played by Susan Sarandon, also has a menial job and feels she is unsuccessful not only in her career but in raising her children, especially Jeff. Even Jeff is unsure about his place in the world but moves through it on his own terms. These are bleak subjects but the movie provides enough levity to keep it from being depressing.
That being said, the movie is actually quite uplifting. There is an
amazingly original and romantic scene featuring Susan Sarandon that touches on a controversial subject in a way that will speak to middle America. The final scene with Jeff is a great piece of cinema and is the first in a long time that has given me goosebumps.
Their lives may be screwed up but by the end of the movie something has changed. They are happy and it is this change, alone, that is worth the price of admission.
9/10 STARS
