Review of Mustang (2015) by Andrew G — 05 Feb 2016

I've never done this before, but I'm counting this film that was released in 2015 in the United States as a 2016 film. Why? Because I want to remember this film at the end of this year and be able to gush even more because this film is absolutely fantastic, and everyone should stop reading this spoiler free review and see it NOW!

This is the first movie for director Deniz Gamze Ergüven, a Turkish native herself. And after seeing this film, I'm ready for whatever else she comes out with. The other star of this film is the casting director, Harika Uygar, who worked some magic in casting this picture. Güne? ?ensoy as Lale, Do?a Do?u?lu as Nur, Elit ??can as Ece, Tu?ba Sunguro?lu as Selma, and ?layda Akdo?an as Sonay are all revelations. I also want to give my respects to Ayberk Pecan as the best villain of 2016, Uncle Erol and Nihal Kolda? as the Grandmother.

This movie is about the aforementioned five young girls and how their whole lives are changed after they are seen playing with some boys in town. They are isolated in their house, forced to learn how to be proper women and wives, and start to get married off. But the movie is not really about that at all. It is about the perseverance that these girls have and their love for one another that grows as their world becomes more restricted. They are the modern woman in a more traditional world. They are also the modern human being fighting against those who don't allow for freedom of choice and freedom of life.

There are so many scenes that show the spirit that runs through these characters. There are also so many scenes that show that spirit breaking. I laughed with these girls, I cried with these girls, I felt scared with these girls, I got upset and angry with these girls, and I felt essentially at the mercy of this movie. No other movie has done anything this ground breaking and beautiful in 2016 so far, and it will have to take another near perfect tour de force to jump over this movie as the best of the year. This film was absolute bliss.

5/5.