Brit Marling is not necessarily a name you know, but it's a name to keep an eye on all the same. The actress and co-writer of "Another Earth" is back this weekend with another flick that grounds science fiction with reality: "The Sound of My Voice," about a woman who might be from the future, or might just be a sadistic cult leader, depending on your interpretation. It's a fascinating film that left three of our writers wanting more.
Keep reading for more of what we've been watching in this week's Watch It!
Fallon Prinzivalli, MTV Movies editorial assistant:
I had the opportunity to attend a screening of Zal Batmanglij's debut feature "Sound of My Voice." Batmanglij co-wrote the script with actress Brit Marling, who also stars in the film. The story follows two documentary filmmakers, Peter (Christopher Denham) and Lorna (Nicole Vicius) who infiltrate a cult with the intent on exposing its mysterious leader Maggie. Maggie claims to be from the future and convinces her followers that they've been chosen to escape an impending disaster—as long as they follow everything she says. The film takes on an original concept that makes the audience re-think its views on community and the human need for inclusion. For Brit Marling's performance alone, I'd definitely recommend seeing the film when it hits theaters Friday.
Ryan Rigley, MTV Movies contributing writer:
Look. I know that "Adventure Time" is technically a children's cartoon, but hear me out. Not only is the show beautifully animated, it also has an amazingly epic back story that can only be realized once one has seen multiple episodes. Finn, the last human on Earth, has taken it upon himself to become the hero that the mystical "Land of Ooo" needs. Surrounded by mythical and magical creatures of all shapes and sizes, Finn and his shape-shifting dog, Jake, must defend the seemingly endless array of princesses from the likes of trolls, zombies, fire wolfs, demons, vampires, and the mentally-unstable Ice King on a daily basis.
Kevin P. Sullivan, MTV Movies editorial assistant:
With just two movies, Brit Marling has established herself as someone to watch. At the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, Marling co-wrote and started in two of the in-competition films, "Another Earth" and "Sound of My Voice." In the latter film, Marling stars as a cult leader who claims to be from the future, and to avoid spoilers, I'll have to leave it at that. As a writer, Marling has covered science fiction topics within the means of an independent film, and the results have been fascinating. As an actress, she projects intelligence in a way that few actors can. Fox Searchlight is just getting around to releasing "Sound of My Voice" in select theaters this week, and it is absolutely worth checking out.
Marvin Van Buren, MTV Movies contributing writer:
This week I finally saw Gareth Evans' "The Raid: Redemption." The movie is amazing; I was literally on the edge of my seat the entire time. The actions sequences are intense and brutal which left people in my theater applauding when Rama (played by Iko Uwais) battled his way through a hallway of gang members. This week I also saw Joe Cornish's "Attack The Block," another film I can't believe I hadn't seen before. Cornish does so much with a minimal budget and a lot of relatively unknown actors, but the special effects and performances exceed expectations. "Block" is easily one of the best alien invasion movies in recent years I have seen. John Boyega, who plays Moses in the film, will definitely get more work as an actor in the future. If you haven't yet, trust me: "Attack The Block" and "The Raid: Redemption" are two movies you need to watch.
Josh Wigler, MTV Movies Blog editor:
I saw Val Kilmer in "The Fourth Dimension." It was light and fluffy and filled with cotton candy. That description makes about as much sense as the anthology movie itself, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the absurdity of it all. Less absurd, though still bizarre on paper, is "The Sound of My Voice," the low-level sci-fi flick from "Another Earth" rising star Brit Marling. "Earth" was among my favorite movies seen in 2011, and while "Sound" might not get that same distinction this year, it's definitely an interesting spin on the time-travel subgenre complete with an excellent performance from Marling, who needs to exclusively make weird pseudo-sci-fi movies for the rest of her life.
Amy Wilkinson, Hollywood Crush editor
HBO's current Sunday night line-up gets my vote for the week's best night of television. With the epic return of "Game of Thrones" and the debut of Lena Dunham's buzzy "Girls," my DVR clearly isn't observing a day of rest. The newest choice addition to the pay network, "Veep," debuted last Sunday and follows the exploits of harried vice-president Selina Meyer (played to perfection by Julia Louis-Dreyfus). One episode in, I'm still contemplating its approval rating; I enjoyed it, but wasn't necessarily rolling with laughter in the congressional aisles. That being said, it's hard not to cheer for a series giving Anna "My Girl" Chlumsky a second act.
Eric Ditzian, MTV Movies managing editor:
Friends, remember my TV? This Sunday, the living room in which it proudly stands was the scene of an epic movie-watching binge, thanks to the slashing, day-long rainstorm outside and a bloated Netflix streaming queue. Let's break 'em down individually:
» We began with a second viewing of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," which I ended up enjoying, purely and simply, more than when I caught a screening last year. Gone were the inescapable impulses to compare the film to the book and the Swedish adaptation, giving way to a new appreciation for Daniel Craig's performance and a reinforced view that Rooney Mara gave the finest performance of any actress in 2011.
» Next came "The September Issue," the 2009 doc that takes you inside Anna Wintour's Vogue and the creation of the magazine's über-important fall issue. The journalist in me wanted less attention paid to the photo spreads and more time spent exploring the creation, deconstruction and recreation of the mag's words, but I suspect I'm in the minority here. The true star of the doc is Vogue's charismatic and conflicted creative director, Grace Coddington, who makes "September Issue" a must-watch even if you don't give a crap about Thakoon Panichgul's latest ready-to-wear collection.
» Finally, it was on to another documentary, Cameron Crowe's "Pearl Jam Twenty." Alas, it was more hagiographic portrait than objective look at a band with as much creative tension as hit records. Juicy pop-culture topics like Kurt Cobain's beef with the band and Eddie Vedder's debatably successful ascension to the role of the band's head musical honcho after 1993's Vs. are raised and quickly swept under the storytelling rug. Bummer. What's not a bummer? Watching three movies in a row on a rainy Sunday.
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