As many of you may be aware the Sundance Film Festival is currently underway and if you are following its coverage like I am, you may or may not already know that
Elizabeth Olsen is all the rage right now and positioned as the new breakout star. She has two films playing at the festival in the form of
Martha Marcy May Marlene (thats going to be hard to remember) and
The Silent House and both are gaining her huge praise. Martha Marcy May Marlene is a film that finds Olsen as a young girl who enters and then leaves a cult and attempts to re-assimilate with her family. Ive heard good buzz about the film itself and people seem to be gushing about Olsens performance. While that film may be the bigger deal in the long run, its her other film and performance that relates to this news piece. That film would be
The Silent House which finds Elizabeth Olsen as the lead in a film which purportedly, but not actually known for sure, takes place in one long take (or if not true, a series of long takes to mimic one long take) where she finds her way navigating through a haunted house. Apparently, though the film has its flaws and may just be no better than Paranormal Activity, Olsen completely holds the film together with a stellar performance. So perhaps with the spirit of Jimmy Stewart and Alfred Hitchcocks long take classic Rope at her back these roles have netted Olsen with her first role in a mainstream film.
THR say Olsen has been cast in the film
Red Lights which she herself calls a thriller about paranormal activity. She will be playing a student of a psychology professor (Sigourney Weaver) that attempts to debunk a famous psychic (Robert DeNiro) who has returned to the spotlight after 30 years. Cillian Murphy is also cast in the film and Olsen says he is her love interest, probably playing one of the other twos assistant. The film is the sophomore feature-length effort of director (an also writer on this one)
Rodrigo Cortes whose first film Buried, with Ryan Reynolds, was a favorite of many film festivals and was a few of our writer's top ten lists last year. It will be nice to see Cortes expand beyond the inside of a coffin with a solid cast and if all is true about Olsen this could be a movie to look out for.
Personally Im not a huge fan of paranormal shows or films but with all the talent assembled here this could be something to keep an eye on. Olsen meanwhile has me very excited because its always great to see a young star emerge on her qualifications and performances instead of how much Disney fans like her in a terrible television show. Also one last note, which is yes she is the younger sister of the more famous Olsen twins, but really who cares its performance that matters right not sibling relations? Is anyone else green with envy that they arent seeing these films at Sundance right now?