If Cannes’ Thierry Frémaux doesn’t snag it away first, we might be chalking this unsettling piece of cinema as yet another Park City homecoming for the Borderline films crew. Ever since Afterschool was launched in Cannes back in 2008, their string of feature films Martha Marcy May Marlene (Sean Durkin), Antonio Campos‘ sophomore film Simon Killer, James White (Josh Mond) plus the award-winning short Mary Last Seen all got their starts at this January set fest. While creative collaborators such as dp Joe Anderson and composers Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans return to the fold, Campos’ third film is a departure of sorts as he works from a screenplay other than his own, and very busy filmmakers in their own right in Durkin and Mond are on board in the executive producer roles. Production on Christine took place last May, so this will indeed to fit to go. Rebecca Hall...
- 11/23/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Eric Lavallee: Name me three of your favorite “2014 discoveries”…
Sean Durkin: Jesse Marchant’s self titled album was my favorite of the year. I read “Stoner” by John Williams for the first time this year and was so deeply moved. I saw a play in London called Spine by Clara Brennan. Absolutely incredible writing.
Lavallee: Whether it be the thematic links in shorts and then features found in Antonio’s body of work, or Mary Last Seen as a leaf belonging to the Mmmm experience, and now 1009 as an emotional extension of Josh Mond’s James White, would it be fair to state that the short serves as an exploratory exercise in form, shape for the eventual feature?
Durkin: Absolutely. I think any time you get behind a camera you explore and learn. 1009 is much different in style than James White, but was a huge step towards discovering what James White would ultimately be.
Sean Durkin: Jesse Marchant’s self titled album was my favorite of the year. I read “Stoner” by John Williams for the first time this year and was so deeply moved. I saw a play in London called Spine by Clara Brennan. Absolutely incredible writing.
Lavallee: Whether it be the thematic links in shorts and then features found in Antonio’s body of work, or Mary Last Seen as a leaf belonging to the Mmmm experience, and now 1009 as an emotional extension of Josh Mond’s James White, would it be fair to state that the short serves as an exploratory exercise in form, shape for the eventual feature?
Durkin: Absolutely. I think any time you get behind a camera you explore and learn. 1009 is much different in style than James White, but was a huge step towards discovering what James White would ultimately be.
- 1/26/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Winner of the Best Dramatic Direction award at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, Martha Marcy May Marlene remains one of my favorite films of the past few years. It is a clever, creepy and extremely striking reflection on the duplicitous way cults instill their beliefs when feeding on the psychological vulnerabilities of their prey. The groundwork for this stellar piece of American Gothic cinema came from a short film by director Sean Durkin, titled Mary Last Seen. While the short is not yet available online, I stumbled upon a poster and trailer, and felt like sharing it with our readers. Enjoy!
- 9/22/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Blu-ray Review
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Directed by: Sean Durkin
Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson
Running Time: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: R
Due Out: February 21, 2012
Plot: A young woman (Olsen) flees a cult and goes to live with her sister (Paulson), but has a hard time reverting to her old life.
Who’S It For? Fans of indie cinema who are patient.
Movie:
Durkin made a good choice when he cast Olsen for the lead in his feature debut. The character of Martha/Marcy isn’t terribly fleshed out, but you almost forget it watching her play the part. Olsen is playing two roles, Martha who returns to her sister and Marcy, the girl she was in the cult. I identified with her sister, Lucy. Martha makes no sense, she goes skinny dipping in a public lake during the day and crawls in the bed with her sister while...
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Directed by: Sean Durkin
Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson
Running Time: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: R
Due Out: February 21, 2012
Plot: A young woman (Olsen) flees a cult and goes to live with her sister (Paulson), but has a hard time reverting to her old life.
Who’S It For? Fans of indie cinema who are patient.
Movie:
Durkin made a good choice when he cast Olsen for the lead in his feature debut. The character of Martha/Marcy isn’t terribly fleshed out, but you almost forget it watching her play the part. Olsen is playing two roles, Martha who returns to her sister and Marcy, the girl she was in the cult. I identified with her sister, Lucy. Martha makes no sense, she goes skinny dipping in a public lake during the day and crawls in the bed with her sister while...
- 2/29/2012
- by Megan Lehar
- The Scorecard Review
Chicago – You’d never know it from the Academy Awards this past weekend but Sean Durkin’s “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD, was one of the best movies of 2011, a better overall film than at least half of this year’s Oscar winners. It features my choice for the best actress performance of 2011 and won the Cfca Award for Most Promising Filmmaker and Most Promising Performer. It’s absolutely a must-see.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
I’ve made my love for “Martha Marcy May Marlene” clear through numerous features about how much attention I thought the film deserved at the end of the year (including naming Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes in best performances of the year pieces) and my original 4.5-star theatrical review. So it comes from a place of love when I reveal that this Blu-ray is a disappointment. The video quality is average and the special features are below that.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
I’ve made my love for “Martha Marcy May Marlene” clear through numerous features about how much attention I thought the film deserved at the end of the year (including naming Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes in best performances of the year pieces) and my original 4.5-star theatrical review. So it comes from a place of love when I reveal that this Blu-ray is a disappointment. The video quality is average and the special features are below that.
- 2/28/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Interview With The Cast And Crew Of Mary Last Seen
Children and young adults are always warned about the dangers they face from people they don't truly know, an important life lesson that rang true in last year's acclaimed drama thriller, Martha Marcy May Marlene. The film, which featured a stunning breakout performance from lead actress Elizabeth Olsen and helmed by first-time director Sean Durkin, is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Thanks for reading We Got This Covered...
Children and young adults are always warned about the dangers they face from people they don't truly know, an important life lesson that rang true in last year's acclaimed drama thriller, Martha Marcy May Marlene. The film, which featured a stunning breakout performance from lead actress Elizabeth Olsen and helmed by first-time director Sean Durkin, is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Thanks for reading We Got This Covered...
- 2/26/2012
- by Karen Benardello
- We Got This Covered
Hot off earning the #7 spot on my list of 2011′s best, I’ve got a couple copies of the DVD release of Martha Marcy May Marlene available for you to win. I’ve probably talked up the film enough recently, so let’s just jump into some info, and let you sign up for your chance to win a copy.
Get Captivated By Elizabeth Olsen In The Gripping Psychological Thriller
Featuring the Award Winning Short Film “Mary Last Seen”
From 2011 Sundance Film Festival “Best Director” winner Sean Durkin, in his feature film debut, and featuring breakout star Elizabeth Olsen in her “Best Female Lead” Film Independent Spirit Award nominated role, Martha Marcy May Marlene arrives on Blu-ray and DVD February 21 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
After escaping from a dangerous cult and the watchful eye of its charismatic leader, a young woman named Martha (Olsen) tries to reclaim a normal life with her family.
Get Captivated By Elizabeth Olsen In The Gripping Psychological Thriller
Featuring the Award Winning Short Film “Mary Last Seen”
From 2011 Sundance Film Festival “Best Director” winner Sean Durkin, in his feature film debut, and featuring breakout star Elizabeth Olsen in her “Best Female Lead” Film Independent Spirit Award nominated role, Martha Marcy May Marlene arrives on Blu-ray and DVD February 21 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
After escaping from a dangerous cult and the watchful eye of its charismatic leader, a young woman named Martha (Olsen) tries to reclaim a normal life with her family.
- 2/22/2012
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
Elizabeth Olsen’s sisters Mary Kate and Ashley can be said to have a cult-like following, who have propelled them from sitcom television stars to formidable fashion trend-setters. They have people who follow their doings without question. Elizabeth’s Martha was similarly following a siren call into a cult setting in the amazing Martha Marcy May Marlene, which was released on disc this week by Twentieth Century Home Entertainment. The fall 2011 release from writer/director Sean Durkin is fascinating in how creepy the overall feel and tone is from beginning to end, even scenes set away from the cult.
Martha got seduced into following a man to the cult and was welcomed by the men and women there and at first, everything in the upstate New York compound seemed so idyllic. There was talk of self-sufficiency, there were communal gatherings as people played music and everyone seemed supportive of one another.
Martha got seduced into following a man to the cult and was welcomed by the men and women there and at first, everything in the upstate New York compound seemed so idyllic. There was talk of self-sufficiency, there were communal gatherings as people played music and everyone seemed supportive of one another.
- 2/22/2012
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
Anatomy of a Murder (Criterion Collection) I looked back through my Netflix queue to see when I first watched Anatomy of a Murder and it turns out it was back in January 2009 and while I remembered enjoying it I didn't remember the film per se. So it was a treat to pop this new Criterion Blu-ray in the player and settle in to Otto Preminger's 1959 thriller with James Stewart in the lead and an impressive supporting cast and a feature filled with dialogue you can't get enough of.
As for the transfer, it's almost too good as a moment early on featuring the makeup on Lee Remick's bruised face is so obvious it's almost comical, but you're hardly paying attention as she does everything in her power to seduce Stewart into taking her husband's case.
Anatomy for a Murder may best be known in the movie blogosphere as...
As for the transfer, it's almost too good as a moment early on featuring the makeup on Lee Remick's bruised face is so obvious it's almost comical, but you're hardly paying attention as she does everything in her power to seduce Stewart into taking her husband's case.
Anatomy for a Murder may best be known in the movie blogosphere as...
- 2/21/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Updated 7:00Pm Est: You can now view the film! Grab your redemption code and go here to watch it. Updated 6:30Pm Est: Live streaming of the event will begin in just 30 minutes right below the body of this post. See below for details on how to participate and view the film. For those of you who have already signed up, enjoy the screening. As promised, tonight at 7Pm Et at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Film Center Ampitheater, The Playlist and IndieWIRE, in conjunction with Film Linc, will be showing “Martha Marcy May Marlene" director Sean Durkin's short, "Mary Last Seen" for free. A type of prequel to the celebrated drama starring Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes, the excellent companion piece short, “Mary Last Seen” explores the notion of cult indoctrination and serves as an early entry point into the recruitment of lost souls and how...
- 2/20/2012
- by The Playlist
- The Playlist
If you're in New York and want to see the film that inspired Sundance breakout "Martha Marcy May Marlene" that made a star out of Elizabeth Olsen, then come to the Film Society of Lincoln Center on Monday, February 20 for a special talk hosted by the Indiewire and The Playlist. "Martha Marcy May Marlene" director/writer Sean Durkin will be on hand to present the short film, "Mary Last Seen," which preceded his acclaimed feature debut and gave him the impetus to get "Martha Marcy May Marlene" off the ground. The prequel sheds light on how the cult at the center of "Martha Marcy May Marlene" recruits its members. It follows a young woman who embarks on a road trip with her boyfriend, only to discover that their destination is not what was initially promised. Last year marked a big one for Durkin and his production company, Borderline Films, which...
- 2/10/2012
- Indiewire
First time feature-length filmmaker Sean Durkin made a huge splash last year with his haunting Sundance debut “Martha Marcy May Marlene.” About a damaged woman who struggles to re-assimilate into her family after fleeing an abusive cult, the poignant drama instantly placed Durkin and lead actress Elizabeth Olsen on the map as ones to watch (and indeed, the Durkin-produced “Simon Killer” already made waves at Sundance 2012). But what many don’t know is that before Durkin made “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” he wrote and directed a prequel short of sorts called “Mary Last Seen” as a way of exploring the notion of cult indoctrination, and also as a down-and-dirty way of just shooting a film while he waited for the ‘Mmmm’ schedule to coalesce. It serves as a very excellent companion piece to the larger feature without covering the same ground. Starring “Martha Marcy May Marlene” actor Brady Corbett as.
- 2/9/2012
- The Playlist
Get Captivated By Elizabeth Olsen In The Gripping Psychological Thriller
Featuring the Award Winning Short Film .Mary Last Seen.
Only On Blu-ray and DVD February 21
From 2011 Sundance Film Festival .Best Director. winner Sean Durkin, in his feature film debut, and featuring breakout star Elizabeth Olsen in her .Best Female Lead. Film Independent Spirit Award nominated role, Martha Marcy May Marlene arrives on Blu-ray and DVD February 21 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
After escaping from a dangerous cult and the watchful eye of its charismatic leader, a young woman named Martha (Olsen) tries to reclaim a normal life with her family. But the haunting memories from Martha.s past trigger a chilling paranoia . and nowhere seems safe as the fragile line between her reality and delusions begin to blur.
Supported by unforgettable powerhouse performances from Academy Award® nominee John Hawkes (Winter.s Bone, American Gangster) and Sarah Paulson (Down With Love,...
Featuring the Award Winning Short Film .Mary Last Seen.
Only On Blu-ray and DVD February 21
From 2011 Sundance Film Festival .Best Director. winner Sean Durkin, in his feature film debut, and featuring breakout star Elizabeth Olsen in her .Best Female Lead. Film Independent Spirit Award nominated role, Martha Marcy May Marlene arrives on Blu-ray and DVD February 21 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
After escaping from a dangerous cult and the watchful eye of its charismatic leader, a young woman named Martha (Olsen) tries to reclaim a normal life with her family. But the haunting memories from Martha.s past trigger a chilling paranoia . and nowhere seems safe as the fragile line between her reality and delusions begin to blur.
Supported by unforgettable powerhouse performances from Academy Award® nominee John Hawkes (Winter.s Bone, American Gangster) and Sarah Paulson (Down With Love,...
- 12/26/2011
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Feb. 21, 2012
Price: DVD Tba, Blu-ray Tba
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
The acclaimed psychological thriller Martha Marcy May Marlene looks at the aftermath of a woman’s time in an abusive cult.
The movie follows Martha (relative newcomer Elizabeth Olsen, Silent House), who runs away from a cult where she was living as Marcy May for two years. Her sister (Sarah Paulson, TV’s Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip) and brother-in-law (Hugh Dancy, Confessions of a Shopaholic) take her in and try to help her assimilate back into a normal life. But Martha has trouble separating dreams from reality when memories of her past resurface and haunt her, making her paranoid.
Rated R, the film stars John Hawkes (Contagion) as the cult leader.
The first feature film written and directed by Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene was released in a limited number of theaters,...
Price: DVD Tba, Blu-ray Tba
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
The acclaimed psychological thriller Martha Marcy May Marlene looks at the aftermath of a woman’s time in an abusive cult.
The movie follows Martha (relative newcomer Elizabeth Olsen, Silent House), who runs away from a cult where she was living as Marcy May for two years. Her sister (Sarah Paulson, TV’s Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip) and brother-in-law (Hugh Dancy, Confessions of a Shopaholic) take her in and try to help her assimilate back into a normal life. But Martha has trouble separating dreams from reality when memories of her past resurface and haunt her, making her paranoid.
Rated R, the film stars John Hawkes (Contagion) as the cult leader.
The first feature film written and directed by Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene was released in a limited number of theaters,...
- 12/20/2011
- by Sam
- Disc Dish
They're a creative filmmaking model to emulate. Borderline Film's Antonio Campos, Sean Durkin and Josh Mond have tied the knot with Fox Searchlight for a two-year, first-look deal. After a courtship phase that began the moment when Martha Marcy May Marlene was picked up by Searchlight at Sundance, the indie studio made a no-brainer move to be the first in line and see what other original masterworks Campos, Durkin and Mond can come up with. Anyone who reads our site knows we have a hard-on for this collective since we were first introduced to the trio with Campos' Cannes selected Afterschool in 2008. We were equally floored by the rest of their output: the Cannes-winning Sean Durkin hypnotic short Mary Last Seen (2010), Alistair Banks Griffin's under-appreciated debut Two Gates of Sleep (2010) and of course, this year's mind-blowing Mmmm, which is currently in theatres and is easily up there in the...
- 11/3/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Directed by Sean Durkin
Screenplay by Sean Durkin
2011, USA
Winner of the Best Dramatic Direction award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Martha Marcy May Marlene is a clever, creepy and extremely striking reflection on the duplicitous way cults instill their beliefs when feeding on the psychological vulnerabilities of their prey. The group’s leader, Patrick (John Hawkes), a charismatic but formidable figure, heads the commune, attaining trust by preaching the nirvana of pure love, then proceeding to degrade the commune’s women in degrading sexual initiations. What is admirable about director Sean Durkin’s directorial debut is how Durkin is not interested in pointing the finger at any specific ideology. Instead he stops to examine what might drive such organizations, what might cause one to resort to becoming a member, and more importantly, the psychological repercussions it may have on impressionable youth, in this case,...
Directed by Sean Durkin
Screenplay by Sean Durkin
2011, USA
Winner of the Best Dramatic Direction award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Martha Marcy May Marlene is a clever, creepy and extremely striking reflection on the duplicitous way cults instill their beliefs when feeding on the psychological vulnerabilities of their prey. The group’s leader, Patrick (John Hawkes), a charismatic but formidable figure, heads the commune, attaining trust by preaching the nirvana of pure love, then proceeding to degrade the commune’s women in degrading sexual initiations. What is admirable about director Sean Durkin’s directorial debut is how Durkin is not interested in pointing the finger at any specific ideology. Instead he stops to examine what might drive such organizations, what might cause one to resort to becoming a member, and more importantly, the psychological repercussions it may have on impressionable youth, in this case,...
- 11/2/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
[Editor's note: This interview was orginally published during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.] One could say that the fate of Martha Marcy May Marlene was destined for the acclaim that it received at Sundance and the acclaim it will receive in Cannes the moment that the visionary team behind Borderline Films (Antonio Campos, Josh Mod and the film's auteur Sean Durkin) teamed with indie vet producer Ted Hope, when Durkin's Mary Last Seen was the buzz short film at Sundance and Cannes circa 2010 and when the final phase was of a screenplay that was written in 2007 was workshopped in back to back Sundance labs in 2010. With a brilliant female lead and supporting cast, and a technical crew that are part of the extended family since 2008's After School (one of my faces that year), Durkin examines the phenomena of losing one's identity and claiming another one, of time moving forward while the individual appears to be stuck/not capable of moving along at...
- 10/21/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
[Editor's note: This interview was orginally published during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.] Playing a supporting character in Sean Durkin's brilliant film debut Martha Marcy May Marlene, actor Brady Corbet's "recruiter" character is the only player to cross into the feature from Durkin's previous short film, the linked, Cannes-winning Mary Last Seen (see pic above). Corbet is in a rather interesting phase in his career (read this bit). Having previously worked with Gregg Araki and Michael Haneke, Corbet will play lead and supporting roles in Antonio Campos (Simon Killer) and Lars von Trier (Melancholia) respectively (check out the interview for more on both. With Mmmm you'll get the sense that he has become a specialist in summer home invasions -- so far, Corbet has been rolling the dice in his favor. Here's my sit down with the actor back in January. ...
- 10/21/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
On a cold Friday morning in Seattle, overcast skies and still groggy from sleep, I sat down with writer/director Sean Durkin and Elizabeth Olsen, the breakout star of his first feature film, Martha Marcy May Marlene. The film tells the story of a few paranoid weeks after Martha (Olsen) has runaway from a cult in upstate New York as she finds refuge in her sister and brother-in-law's lakeside home in Connecticut. Despite asking, Martha either won't or can't tell her sister where she's been as she is quickly swallowed up by paranoia of what will happen now that she's left. The lines of what's real and what's imagined begin to blur and the audience is left to decide for themselves. What exactly could have drawn Durkin to such a project?
"I wanted to tell a story about a cult," he said, almost testing me to find out whether or...
"I wanted to tell a story about a cult," he said, almost testing me to find out whether or...
- 10/17/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
On a cold Friday morning in Seattle, overcast skies and still groggy from sleep, I sat down with writer/director Sean Durkin and Elizabeth Olsen, the breakout star of his first feature film, Martha Marcy May Marlene. The film tells the story of a few paranoid weeks after Martha (Olsen) has runaway from a cult in upstate New York as she finds refuge in her sister and brother-in-law's lakeside home in Connecticut. Despite asking, Martha either won't or can't tell her sister where she's been as she is quickly swallowed up by paranoia of what will happen now that she's left. The lines of what's real and what's imagined begin to blur and the audience is left to decide for themselves. What exactly could have drawn Durkin to such a project?
"I wanted to tell a story about a cult," he said, almost testing me to find out whether or...
"I wanted to tell a story about a cult," he said, almost testing me to find out whether or...
- 10/17/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Directed by Sean Durkin
Screenplay by Sean Durkin
2011, USA
Winner of the Best Dramatic Direction award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Martha Marcy May Marlene is a clever, creepy and extremely striking reflection on the duplicitous way cults instill their beliefs when feeding on the psychological vulnerabilities of their prey. The group’s leader, Patrick (John Hawkes), a charismatic but formidable figure, heads the commune, attaining trust by preaching the nirvana of pure love, then proceeding to degrade the commune’s women in degrading sexual initiations. What is admirable about director Sean Durkin’s directorial debut is how Durkin is not interested in pointing the finger at any specific ideology. Instead he stops to examine what might drive such organizations, what might cause one to resort to becoming a member, and more importantly, the psychological repercussions it may have on impressionable youth, in this case,...
Directed by Sean Durkin
Screenplay by Sean Durkin
2011, USA
Winner of the Best Dramatic Direction award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Martha Marcy May Marlene is a clever, creepy and extremely striking reflection on the duplicitous way cults instill their beliefs when feeding on the psychological vulnerabilities of their prey. The group’s leader, Patrick (John Hawkes), a charismatic but formidable figure, heads the commune, attaining trust by preaching the nirvana of pure love, then proceeding to degrade the commune’s women in degrading sexual initiations. What is admirable about director Sean Durkin’s directorial debut is how Durkin is not interested in pointing the finger at any specific ideology. Instead he stops to examine what might drive such organizations, what might cause one to resort to becoming a member, and more importantly, the psychological repercussions it may have on impressionable youth, in this case,...
- 9/24/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Less than one year after Sean Durkin’s short, Mary Last Seen, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival comes this new trailer for the feature that resulted from it. (Click on the headline if you don’t see the video.)
Durkin was one of our “25 New Faces” of 2010, and now his feature, which premiered at Sundance, has its international premiere at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section. From Jason Guerrasio’s interview with Durkin:
I made Mary Last Seen to have something to send out with the feature script,” Durkin admits. But after taking a second pass at the edit he decided to submit it to Sundance, which accepted the film. It went on to play the 2010 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, where it won the section’s short film prize. Festivalgoers have raved about the short’s creepy ambiguity and beautiful camerawork, which includes a gorgeous shot of Mary and...
Durkin was one of our “25 New Faces” of 2010, and now his feature, which premiered at Sundance, has its international premiere at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section. From Jason Guerrasio’s interview with Durkin:
I made Mary Last Seen to have something to send out with the feature script,” Durkin admits. But after taking a second pass at the edit he decided to submit it to Sundance, which accepted the film. It went on to play the 2010 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, where it won the section’s short film prize. Festivalgoers have raved about the short’s creepy ambiguity and beautiful camerawork, which includes a gorgeous shot of Mary and...
- 5/6/2011
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
#1. Take Shelter Shotgun Stories announced the arrival of filmmaker with a command for story, in full control of the temperature and reminded us of others that work with the elements such as his producer David Gordon Green and mentors such as Terrence Malick. We expect plenty of flavor with this film (big studio effects pepper this distinctly indie feature and I'm especially excited about the prospects of Jeff Nichols teaming up with Michael Shannon once again. #2. The Future Me and You and Everyone We Know announced the arrival of filmmaker who comes across as a performer and artist – a rare breed indeed, and a film that is brimming with optimism and originality. I'm expecting the same sort of candid and sensitive treatment from Miranda July in her sophomore feature – and for the film to remain a pleasurable watch even when the screen is filled with the most uncomfortable situations in...
- 1/21/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
#47. Martha Marcy May Marlene Director/Writer: Sean DurkinProducers: Josh Mond, Antonio Campos, Chris Maybach and Patrick CunninghamDistributor: Rights Available. The Gist: This tells the story of a young woman rapidly unraveling amidst her attempt to reclaim a normal life. Escaping a harrowing experience as a cult member in rural New York, Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) seeks help from her estranged older sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson), though she is unable and unwilling to reveal the truth about her disappearance. With a mounting sense of dread, Lucy comes to realize that her sister's bizarre behavior may point to something much graver than an idiosyncratic personality. Lost in a post-traumatic torment, Martha's memories trigger the chilling paranoia that her former cult is actively pursuing her. As her reality blurs with delusion, we realize that Martha (cult aliases Marcy May and Marlene) is lost in the eye of an emotional storm much larger than anyone could have suspected.
- 1/13/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
Hugh Dancy and Elizabeth Olsen are set to star in the indie drama "Martha Marcy May Marlene" from BorderLine Films.
Sean Durkin, the filmmaker behind the Grand Prix-winning short "Mary Last Seen," wrote and will direct the drama, which he initially workshopped at the Sundance labs.
The story centers on a young woman (Olsen) who is living with her older sister (Sarah Paulson) after escaping a cult. Dancy is Paulson’s husband.
Antonio Campos and Josh Mond are producing "Martha." Ted Hope is executive producing.
Olsen, repped by Gersh, is the sister of Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen. The relative newcomer recently wrapped shooting "Peace, Love & Misunderstanding," the Bruce Beresford indie whose cast also includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Catherine Keener, Chase Crawford and Jane Fonda.
Dancy recently starred in film festival favorite "Adam" as well as opposite Isla Fisher in Disney's "Confessions of a Shopaholic."
UTA, which reps Dancy, Durkin and BorderLine,...
Sean Durkin, the filmmaker behind the Grand Prix-winning short "Mary Last Seen," wrote and will direct the drama, which he initially workshopped at the Sundance labs.
The story centers on a young woman (Olsen) who is living with her older sister (Sarah Paulson) after escaping a cult. Dancy is Paulson’s husband.
Antonio Campos and Josh Mond are producing "Martha." Ted Hope is executive producing.
Olsen, repped by Gersh, is the sister of Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen. The relative newcomer recently wrapped shooting "Peace, Love & Misunderstanding," the Bruce Beresford indie whose cast also includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Catherine Keener, Chase Crawford and Jane Fonda.
Dancy recently starred in film festival favorite "Adam" as well as opposite Isla Fisher in Disney's "Confessions of a Shopaholic."
UTA, which reps Dancy, Durkin and BorderLine,...
- 9/2/2010
- by By Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sean Durkin, a filmmaker I've been "keeping tabs" on prior to having seen his stunning/haunting Sundance preemed and Cannes-winning short short film, Mary Last Seen (he was a producer on Antonio Campos' Afterschool) has been hard at work this summer. Directly after the Sundance labs in June, Durkin got ready on his feature length film debut titled, Martha Marcy May Marlene. The make-up of the cast has been revealed, with Borderline entrusting the film's lead to Elizabeth Olsen and filling out the cast we find: indie vet John Hawkes (who shifts to Soderbergh's Contagion next), Sarah Paulson (mostly television work but also in The Spirit), Hugh Dancy (most recently from My Idiot Brother - which we'll see next year) and Brady Corbet (fresh from Lars von Trier's Melancholia). Filming is now in its second or third week in upstate New York -- I believe it might be...
- 9/2/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Not sure that you could have written a better scenario for writer/director Sean Durkin in 2010. He began the year at Sundance, workshopping Martha Marcy May Marlene, his feature film debut at the Institutes' Screenwriter's Lab and premiered his short film, Mary Last Seen during the fest portion. - Not sure that you could have written a better scenario for writer/director Sean Durkin in 2010. He began the year at Sundance, workshopping Martha Marcy May Marlene, his feature film debut at the Institutes' Screenwriter's Lab and premiered his short film, Mary Last Seen during the fest portion. Durkin then brought the film to Cannes, where it won the Director's Fortnight's Prix Sfr (for Best Short) and then he revisited the Institute once again for the Director's Lab (see pic below). If all goes well, we should be breaking out some casting news and a production start date shortly.
- 7/9/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Not sure that you could have written a better scenario for writer/director Sean Durkin in 2010. He began the year at Sundance, workshopping Martha Marcy May Marlene, his feature film debut at the Institutes' Screenwriter's Lab and premiered his short film, Mary Last Seen during the fest portion. Durkin then brought the film to Cannes, where it won the Director's Fortnight's Prix Sfr (for Best Short) and then he revisited the Institute once again for the Director's Lab (see pic below). If all goes well, we should be breaking out some casting news and a production start date shortly. A Tisch Grad with 2006's Doris (see trailer) which starred Rosemarie DeWitt (from Rachel Getting Married fame) under his belt and a one-third member of the NYC based Borderline Films co., Durkin has learned the ropes from having worn several "hats" -- first collaborating as a Dp on a pair of Antonio Campos' shorts,...
- 7/8/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Of the extremely few Sundance items that are receiving their international premiere in Cannes this year we find Sean Durkin's Mary Last Seen -- a visually descriptive exploration of a man with a hidden agenda played by Brady Corbet. To be featured in the Director's Fortnight section, the short film gave me the creeps...not in a horror film related kind of way, but in a queasy, I'm not sure I really want to know what comes next or go there manner. The reason I'm stoked about seeing it for a possible second time is because I'm under the assumption that there "May" be a tie-in of sorts with the project Durkin will be workshopping this June at the Sundance lab. Martha Marcy May Marlene "a damaged woman struggles to reassimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult", which in itself doesn't sound like much, but if Durkin brands...
- 5/7/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
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