Review: Mustang

When Lale and her four sisters take a detour while walking home from school one day, they do not expect such innocent play to be taken so seriously. A game of chicken fight in the ocean leads to a complete lockdown at the sisters' house when their grandmother learns of their "infidelities".

Director Denis Gamze Ergüven's MUSTANG follows these five sisters, orphaned when they were just babies, who find strength and respite in each other's company. Despite their grandmother's desire for them to be pure and ready for marriage, harshly punishing them for even the thought of infidelity, she still becomes their defender when it comes to their uncle, who now lives with them.

The sisters have little in the way of freedom, but bide their time together, Creating fun in their ever-adaptive hunt for freedom -- and the simple goal is to step outside their own front door. We see their story through the eyes of Lale (Günes Sensoy), the youngest, whose continuous attempts to drive the family car are more than just a symbol of a mustang trying to stretch her legs.

MUSTANG is not only a touching story of the strength that women draw from each other, but also a heartbreaking account of the way that they can be trapped within their own lives. There is not a second of this film that feels forced, or in which the cast feels like an assemblage of actors -- every moment on screen feels like real life. Beautifully shot and beautifully told, it is no wonder that the film was nominated for this year's Oscars. MUSTANG is now playing at the Midtown Cinema!