Mustang (2015) Reviews

• A well deserved punch in the stomach of conservatism

  R-Clercx2015-10-20

  I just saw this movie in a nearly full capacity packed 300 seat theater. Very rarely I rate 10 out of 10, but this piece of film art blew me away from beginning to end, so what more can a viewer expect out of cinema. Five teenagers grow up in a very conservative Turkish village. From early age it is expected that they will marry with a boy the elders prefer, rather than loose themselves in foolish romance. What makes the movie so appealing is the outstanding acting performances of the five teenagers and the realistic way the plot develops. Mustang at the same time offers a laugh and a tear; the viewer is offered the perspective of young ladies growing up, discovering their sexuality and being told that this is a bad thing. Of course some critics will argue that this movie might give viewers a wrong impression about Turkey. This kind of criticism would be the same as stating when a director portrays a story about any kind of bad situation in a certain country, a viewer might get a wrong impression about the country as a whole. This way not one movie should be set in any country in the world because some viewers will always generalize a specific situation. This movie is clearly set in a small rather isolated agricultural village in Turkey; it clearly isn't set in Istanbul (the more modern capital of Turkey). The director also does a very good job of not pointing the finger towards Islam (the main religion in Turkey). What is questioned in this movie is not so much about religion, it is conservatism as a concept which is questioned. A must see movie, one of the best if not the best I've seen in 2015 and the only one I saw in 2015 I rate 10/10.

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• Coming of age feminist fairy tale.

  ClaraBosswald2015-09-27

  Mustang is a Turkish movie inspired by Sofia Coppola's Virgin Suicides. It takes place in a remote village in Turkey and follows the story of five sisters whose very conservative family slowly takes away all forms of 'perversion' away from them in order to make them 'suitable wives'. The movie doesn't beat you over the head with its feminist message but lets the drama unfold naturally. The tone is surprisingly sweet and even funny in places for a movie with such a subject matter. First time director Deniz Gamze Ergüven has a strong grip on tone; she never allows the movie to become too gritty for its own good. The girls are not defined by the plot like it's often the case with this type of movies; they have moments of laughs and happiness which never undermine the seriousness of the subject matter. The performances from the lead actresses are phenomenal. The youngest girl blew me away - not once do you feel like she's acting. Their performances is what make them so distinctive from each other and not just stand-ins for Oppressed Muslim Girls TM like it's often the case. Mustang is easily one of the best feminist movies of the year, proudly sitting next to The Diary of a Teenage Girl. It's sincere and heartfelt, it's not preachy but honest and it shows great premise for the future of its director. Don't miss it!

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• A great film but a bit overrated

  vmilenkovic20052015-12-22

  Even though i assume not many people will read this i'm going to put a disclaimer first. I honestly don't mind if this is a 100% real representation of Turkish culture or not, and it doesn't need to be, no live action film does, this isn't a documentary. Simply put, if it successfully tells a good story then the film did its job and i'm happy with it. Also, i heard many people online hated the movie only because it had some direct feminist themes, the hate is highly undeserved,not only because that isn't a valid enough reason, but because the film doesn't bang you over the head with its messages, and there are many more universal themes weaved in the narrative structure of the film. Now that thats out of the way lets get into the review. The film tells the tale about five young free spirited sisters living in a conservative Turkish household, and the friction regarding the relationship between them and their uncle and grandmother. it's a touching story about the generational gap that exists between them, and the need for the sisters to find their place in life that isn't determined by their family. Technical aspects of the film are quite superb, to my eye the editing was professional, and the cinematography beautiful, the sombre soundtrack goes hand in hand with the story of the film, and the acting was at least as far ass i could tell very good, although i cant be sure since i don't speak Turkish. One of the first things i noticed when i watched the film is that the family relations depicted in the film bear a striking resemblance to an old conservative Serbian family, which doesn't come as a big surprise since the Turks practically ruled our lands for five centuries, and that is one of the main reasons i would recommend this to anyone who was raised in a Balkan country which was occupied by the Turks, because i think they will find some interesting parallels. What bothered me the most about the film was the fact that certain characters weren't very developed, specifically the teacher, and the driver that frequently helps the younger sister, i simply wished that the script devoted more time to explaining their motivation. Also the ending seamed very unexpected, and not in a good way, it simply wasn't foreshadowed enough for it to be satisfying. All in all i think this is a worthy contender for the academy award, and it made me very interested in the future career of Deniz Gamze Ergüven, the director of the film, she is a talented woman with a bright future regarding the world of cinema, i wish her the best of luck.

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• Downbeat Account of Village Life in Northern Turkey

  l_rawjalaurence2015-10-27

  Set in a remote village in Kastamonu, northern Turkey, about two hundred kilometers from the capital, Ankara, MUSTANG is the story of five daughters finishing school at the end of the summer and trying to cope with their family's demands. Custom dictates that once a girl reaches a certain age, she should be married off; hence the three oldest daughters are exposed to the ritual of meeting their partner (chosen for them by their family) and his family and listening to the groom's family asking for her hand in marriage. Rings are exchanged; and everyone looks forward to the festivities, when the entire village has a wild party, the men fire shots into the air, and the "happy" couple enjoy themselves ... that is, until the dreaded wedding night ritual. Deniz Gamze Ergüven's debut feature takes an even-handed approach towards its material. While certainly sympathizing with the girls (the narration of Lale, the youngest (Güneş Şensoy) provides an accurate indication of their feelings), the director also makes it clear that the arranged marriage of a teenage girl is part of the village custom. Nobody ever dares to challenge it, because that might destroy the fabric of everyone's lives. Western audiences might consider it a primitive ritual that does not take the girls' feelings into account, but this is a different culture with its own particular traditions. The grandmother (Nihal G. Koldaş) makes this point clear when she tells Nur (Doğa Zeynep Doguşlu) that she was married as a teenager many years previously and "grew to love" her husband once the knot had been tied. Yet MUSTANG also has some trenchant points to make about the ways in which such traditions can be abused. Uncle Erol (Ayberk Pekcan) turns out to be a sadist as well as an abuser, whose sole response to the girls' wanting some kind of freedom is to build higher and higher walls round the house and install bars across the windows. This is a futile gesture; the more he creates a prison, the more the girls try to escape from it. There is a touching sequence early on in the film as all five daughters escape from their home and catch a bus taking female soccer supporters to Trabzon on the Black Sea coast to watch a match. Their enjoyment is both palpable and welcome. In the end Nur decides not to go through with her arranged marriage; together with Lale they barricade themselves in the family home and manage to escape Uncle Erol's clutches at last. No one - least of all the viewers - knows precisely what will happen to them, but they have at least managed to exercise freedom of choice. The downside, of course, is that they have also endangered the stability of their village community. This ambiguity is not resolved by the film's end. Director Ergüven coaxes some remarkable performances out of her five youthful actors as the daughters. Her cinematic style is brisk, even though there are perhaps too many extreme close-ups that draw our attention away from the characters' expressions rather than focusing on them. Nonetheless MUSTANG is a powerful film, a Turkish version of JEUNE ET JOLIE (2013), perhaps.

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• Girl Power

  ferguson-62016-01-31

  Greetings again from the darkness. Writer/director Deniz Gamze Erguven admits to being inspired by Sophia Coppola's 1999 The Virgin Suicides (though this is not a remake), and by offering us a rare glimpse into the lives of five sisters in a rural community in Turkey, it's clear why the film has been so well received at film festivals – culminating in an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film. It's a bit confusing that the film is credited to France (Ms. Erguven's current place of residence) as it takes place in Turkey and is performed in Turkish. But of course, country of origin is a minor ripple in this year's uproar over diversity at the Oscars. Not being any type of expert in Turkey culture or customs, I must accept that the insights provided by Ms. Erguven and her co-writer Alice Winocour are somewhat accurate, which makes the balance between the tradition of female oppression and the amazing spirit of the girls so relatable for many. What begins as a seemingly harmless game of chicken the girls play with some classmates (boys) on the way home after the semester's last day of classes, turns into a series of events that most will find absolutely unacceptable. The shame brought to the family and the threat of the girls being "spoiled" highlights the extreme reactions from their grandmother (Nihal G Koldas) and Uncle Erol (Ayberk Pekcan). Lale (Gunes Sensoy) is the youngest of the sisters and in the end proves to be the toughest and most independent. And that's really saying something. We take in much of what happens through Lale's expressive eyes, and we as viewers long for reasonableness to enter their lives. After being what can only be described as imprisoned in their own home, the spirit of the girls collectively and individually becomes clear. They find ways, small and large, to rebel … but it's soon enough clear that the mission is to marry the girls off before it's too late (there's that "spoiled" thing again). As Lale witnesses what her older sisters are subjected to, and how happiness or their own wishes play no role, she becomes more determined to avoid such destiny. With skewed perspective, one might make the argument that Grandmother and Uncle are doing what they think is in the long term best interests of the girls, but the Uncle's despicable actions void any such thought. Instead we are left to marvel at the strength and spirit of the girls in world that holds them in such low regard as individuals. Lale's sisters are Sonay (IIayda Akdogan), Nur (Doga Zeynep Doguslu), Selma (Tugba Sunguroglu) and Ece (Elit Iscan). The girls are so natural together that we never doubt their sisterly bond. They argue like sisters, defend each other as sisters, and play together like sisters … were it not for their isolated existence, their bond would be a joy to behold. The cinematography throughout the film adds to the discomfort and dread we feel, and the acting is naturalistic and believable. In the end, it's the unbridled freedom of the titular creature that Lale defiantly embraces … whatever the consequences may be.

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