This was the first Turkish crime film I have seen. It also has elements of action, drama, thriller, and just enough humor to make the whole thing palatable.
At prayer in a mosque in Istanbul, a member of the small congregation is shot dead right before the eyes of the Imam. It turns out the victim was a loan shark, and soon the muezzin is under suspicion.
The imam is reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes in that he plays chess, boxes well, and even plays the baglama (saz) in concerts, a Turkish folk instrument similar to a bouzouki or lute. But due to his position he has more of a Father-Brown-like role.
Everything happens in a small community in which everybody seems to know everybody. The plot is very intricate and probably has a number of minor holes, but it was easy to follow anyway.
The following short exchange, after the muezzin didn't do his job, first made me realize that this film was going to subvert some of my expectations:
Imam: Where were you?
Muezzin: At the church.
Imam: How is Ms. Ani?
Muezzin: Not well. They are praying.
Later we actually see the Armenian church (and hear part of the Mozart Requiem). Alevites (another barely tolerated minority in Turkey) also play a role.
The imam is a convincing proponent of the approach to religion that puts humans and doing the right thing first, rooted in a strong faith in God. He is religiously tolerant and is willing to risk his life to set things right -- while not going so far as to throw it away. After all, he is a (widowed) father.
Overall, this is a solid, well-rounded film that tries to be many things at the same time -- and is quite successful in this.
