subxerogravity The four acts go by pretty fast, which is good. It's like an uncooked Kill Bill as Marlina kills her rapist and the men who he was traveling with who wanted a chance to assault her as well. Then it's a strange slow burn as Marlina attempts a journey to inform the police of what happen, while avoiding another set of men looking for her attackers.It's one of those flicks that has an interesting story line, that your expecting far more action and drama from, but the filmmakers chose to keep a quiet approach possibly to respect the real situation of sexual assault.Plus it's done in a different culture other than my own. A contemporary place that co-exist with my place but in so many ways very different than what I know. That really does add to the interesting element of the film.And I love the pacing of the film. It seems to go slowly but it does not feel like it at all. Perfect! Absolute great watch!

Páiric O'Corráin Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts: An Indonesian Western, a Tale of Revenge, a Ghost Story, an everyday Horror Story. Marlina (Marsha Timothy), a widow, is waiting to bring her livestock to market so that she can afford a funeral for her husband who is mummified in a corner of her house. Markus (Egy Fedly) A violent crook arrives and informs her that he and his gang are going to rob her animals and rape her. Marlina manages to poison most of robbers and beheads Markus as he attacks her, She then decides to report the matter to the police, carrying the crook's head with her. She meets up with her friend Novi (Dea Panendra) who is ten months pregnant and searching for her husband. Novi has her own problems, due to local superstitions her husband believes her late delivery is due to adultery. The quest is joined by a woman who is bringing horses as part of a dowry for her nephews wedding.In this, director Mouly Surya's third film, she has made what has been described as the first Satay Western. Instead of horses, motorbikes ride along the skyline, Marlina, a woman, is the lone avenger who has few words to impart. When she does try to speak she is basically ignored by the police, they will check things out in a few days, they tell her to visit a doctor at her own expense to collect evidence. Wisely she doesn't show them the robber's head. Glorious Western style vistas are contrasted with dark indoor scenes with varying shades of brown/umber, shots are framed through doors and windowsMarkus appears again and again, as a headless corpse, squatting and strumming on a stringed instrument, then following her along a road. It is really surreal to see Marlina waiting for a bus at the roadside, the head of Markus hanging by her side. The scenery is not what you would expect of Indonesia, here on Sumba there are arid flatlands and lightly forested rolling hills. There are folk songs in the local Sumba dialect which has French, English and Spanish loan words. The film heads towards it's resolution as Mrlina is pursued by the surviving gang members.A masterpiece of blended genres. 9/10.

MovieBuffChick This movie got off to a REALLY strong start... then it kinda fizzled into a bunch of events that "just happened" with no real cohesiveness. Pros: Very strong protagonist. Great lead actress (Marsha Timothy)Cons: Disappointing supportive characters. Didn't quite flow right... after the first act, everything else was really choppy.This would've made for a GREAT short film (the first act). I understand where they were going with the last 3 acts... but it was just too all over the place and a lot of it just didn't make a whole lot of sense. Definitely could've been better.Find me on Twitte r and You Tube for audio reviews @MovieBuffChick1

Raven-1969 Frontier home, arid landscape, livestock and a recently widowed woman, Marlina, left alone to face a group of bandits at her door. It is not the Wild West of the past, but the Wild East of the present. The bandits tell Marlina that they are doing her a favor by taking advantage of her. "You are lucky," they tell her "if men still find a use for you." Therein begins the robbery, journey, confession and birth. If Marlina can stay calm and keep her wits about her, there is life at the end of the tunnel.The cultural tapestry of eastern Indonesia, resiliency and determination of local women, ugliness of traditional male privilege and mystery of life, are revealed in this humorous, witty, bold and unique film. While some of the supporting cast are a little shaky with their acting, a few scenes are far-fetched and disjointed, and the dialogue could use added depth, the film is a compelling cocktail of intriguing and unusual characters, pretty scenery and uncommon circumstances. There are occasional scenes of violence and intense action, yet generally the film is easy going and delightfully slow-moving. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival.