Are you ready for another Olsen sibling on the scene? Actress Elizabeth Olsen is the younger sister of twin mega-moguls Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Her stock has steadily risen ever since the premiere of the creep-tastc indie drama “Martha Marcy May Marlene“ at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. As its release date approaches, the actress is drawing considerable Oscar buzz. Even if she doesn’t land a nomination, Olsen has already established herself as a star of tomorrow.
“Martha Marcy May Marlene” was written and directed by Sean Durkin and costars Brady Corbet, Hugh Dancy, Sarah Paulson and John Hawkes, a recent Oscar nominee for “Winter’s Bone.” It won a directing prize from the Sundance Film Festival and screened in the Un Certain Regard program at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
The story concerns a mysterious and traumatized young woman who returns to her family after escaping from a cult. “Olsen ably juggles [a] tricky role, which depends so heavily on the character’s between-the-lines personal history,” notes Hollywood trade publication Variety. “The younger sibling of the millionaire Olsen twins, she has Maggie Gyllenhaal‘s soulful ease and saucer eyes, as well as Angelina Jolie‘s husky voice and bee-stung lips.”
IndieWire.com notes Olsen appears “fragile and terrified from her first scene until her last” and “brings an alarming quality” to her acting, particularly during a house party scene. “(S)he becomes entirely delusional and eventually goes into panic mode, the chaotic soundtrack mirroring her mental detachment, possessed by the demons of her past.”
SlashFilm.com called the film a “devastating portrait of cult brainwashing” with Olsen’s performance “a tour-de-force, full of depth and complexity. Olsen’s Martha displays deep insecurity, painful ambivalence, and a stunning amorality that is haunting to see in a fellow human being.”
“Martha Marcy May Marlene” will begin rolling out nationwide on October 21 via Fox Searchlight.
TRIVIA NOTE: Elizabeth and James, the acclaimed clothing label founded by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, was named for Elisabeth and their brother, James.
CLICK HERE for the official movie website.