„Oscar” category for best foreign language film
hides some truly great flicks, safely tucked away form the spotlight of
commercial US movies. Turkish contender for this year, „Mustang” is one of
those hidden gems of real life drama in a society that differs so much from the
ones we, Europeans, live in.
Script revolves around five sisters in a God
forsaken Turkish city of Trabzon and gives us a heart-chilling story of their
brutal coming of age in the wake of fanatically narrow-minded traditions and
the position of women in the hardcore Islamic society. Main character is Lale
(fantastic Günes Sensoy), the youngest and the wildest of the girls. Not broken
down by pre-arranged and forced marriages of the elder sisters, Lale embarks on
a dramatic and tense voyage towards freedom that awaits in Istanbul.
As for the „Mustang's” strongest asset, the
rhythm, the story starts really slowly and relatively peacefully, even with
some traces of humor in the situations and dialogues. As the plot thickens,
drama steps in, leading to a tragedy somewhere in the last third of the movie.
Final chapter will make you seat on the very edge of your chair and root your
heart for little Lale, as all great dramas do.
„Mustang” is a great movie all Westerners should watch,
especially women.
FOTO: trailers.apple.com
