Wrong Rosary

Some may find Wrong Rosary a bit slow for their tastes but there are a number of diamonds to be discovered in its narrative.

Powered by automated translation

This subtle and touching film is proof that drama can often be more about the things that go unsaid between people than what is right in front of their eyes. But be warned, Wrong Rosary's rare emotional pay-offs are like diamonds, scattered sparsely in an immense expanse of grey. The film follows Musa, a young muezzin who is appointed at a mosque in Istanbul. When the prematurely balding, grey-suited protagonist moves into a local apartment block, he quickly notices a pretty but shy woman living next door (Görkem Yeltan). They have a number of chance meetings, but rarely speak more than a few words to one another. All the while, Musa is growing increasingly infatuated, even washing his dishes over and over, in the hope of catching a glimpse of her from his kitchen window. But his interest in the woman is never creepy. Before long, he learns that she is a Catholic and was raised as a nun, but even their religious differences are not enough to crush his infatuation, particularly after he learns her name, Clara. We are then introduced to an older character, Yakup (Ersan Unsal), who wants to get to know Clara for a different reason. He and Musa share their secrets with one another, but fret over how to tell the young woman what they so desire. Wrong Rosary has a rare, almost child-like innocence and cleverly developed characters. It is also refreshing to see a story about people from different faiths who are kept apart not by their beliefs, but their own awkwardness. For all its strong points, though, the story develops incredibly slowly and some may feel that, for the emotional investment required, the rewards are few.

Wrong Rosary screens today at 7pm at the Grand Abu Dhabi Mall.