Mud (2012)

Written & Directed By: Jeff Nichols

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

The Hubby and I saw this in the theater in downtown Charlottesville, a rare splurge in honor of our 23rd anniversary. Even rarer was the fact that we were both equally excited about seeing a newly released film.

Fourteen-year-old Ellis (Tye Sheridan) lives on the Mississippi River, in rural Arkansas, with his parents. He helps his father (Ray McKinnon) earn a living off the river, catching and selling fish. In his down time, he and his buddy Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) explore on the river, a bit like a modern-day Tom and Huck.

Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)

"Martha Marcy May Marlene" is an amazing cinematic jolt to the nervous system, plain and simple. It stars Elizabeth Olsen as Martha, a girl who escapes to her sister and her brother-in-law's lakeside retreat after involving herself with some scary people.

   But this is not the ordinary "victim escapes near death -- victim fights  back story." By intertwining Martha's new life with scenes from her past, we are forced to confront the ambiguities of the situation -- is Martha being followed, or does she simply perceive it that way? Was Martha crazy before the events leading to her escape from the cult?

   What exactly is Martha's secret? On the surface, she seems like a normal young girl, but inside her subconscious, an inner war rages. Elizabeth Olsen knocks it out of the park as fragile, damaged Martha, running from inner demons and stuck in a constant state of shell shock.