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Movie critic Seven Rea's weekend selections

Mustang Deniz Gamze Ergüven's debut feature, nominated for a foreign-language Academy Award, follows five sisters in northern Turkey whose innocent games at the end of a school year scandalize a community, forcing them to be virtual prisoners in their home.

"Mustang" follows five sisters in northern Turkey whose innocent games lead to their oppression.
"Mustang" follows five sisters in northern Turkey whose innocent games lead to their oppression.Read more

Mustang Deniz Gamze Ergüven's debut feature, nominated for a foreign-language Academy Award, follows five sisters in northern Turkey whose innocent games at the end of a school year scandalize a community, forcing them to be virtual prisoners in their home. Beautifully shot and beautifully performed, there is nothing beautiful in the depiction of a culture where women are at once oppressed and sexualized, where strict religious tenets and an entrenched patriarchy combine to keep them in subservient roles. PG-13

Anomalisa From the mind of Charlie Kaufman, co-directing with Duke Johnson, a stop-motion animation tale - and Academy Award feature animation nominee - about a sad, unsatisfied man who meets a woman on a business trip, takes her to his hotel room, and, well, yes, there is puppet sex. A portrait of midlife morass, regret, and mundanity, cut with comic and surreal moments. Eerie in its lifelike, and dreamlike, vision. R

Creed From Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler, in collaboration with screenwriter Aaron Covington and with the generous, genuinely inspiring participation of Sylvester Stallone - nominated for a supporting actor Oscar. The Rocky mantle gets handed off to a new underdog determined to fight his way to glory. It's Adonis Creed, son of Rocky's rival-turned-pal Apollo Creed - and Michael B. Jordan takes the title role, body and soul. PG-13