I was intending to watch the latest in my Middle Eastern Film selection on the plane back from Amsterdam but I cannot tell a lie - I fell asleep.
Thus, Morteza Farshbaf's movie had to wait until we arrived back home.
Mourning is a most unusual Iranian film which is little more than a long road trip conversation between a deaf husband and wife (Kiomars Giti and Sharareh Pasha).
However, the words are all the more poignant because in the back of the car is their nephew (Amir Hossein Maleki) who has no idea that his parents have been killed in a car crash.
The movie actually starts with a huge row between them. They drive off in the middle of the night, leaving their son at their relatives', and are never seen again.
This means that he is taken by his aunt and uncle on a tortuous trip to Teheran.
But does he know why they are driving to the Iranian capital? Indeed, can he pick up from their sign language, the gravity of the situation.
Mourning is an attractive film but its problem is that once its concept has been introduced there is far too much repetition in the script.
Giti and Pasha put in fine performances but that can't make up for the fact that the storyline wilts as the scriptwriters ran out of ideas.
And, as for the ending...
Laughs; none
Jumps: none
Vomity: none
Nudity: non
Overall rating - 5/10
Mourning is part of the upcoming Middle Eastern Film Festival in Edinburgh. Thanks to James McKenzie for the screener.
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