The script is thoughtful, but its anger is diffuse, with laissez-faire capitalism and the problems of illegal immigrants and returning soldiers jostling for attention.
Amira & Sam
The only place they belong is together
2014 · 1h 30m · NOT RATED
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Directed by
Sean Mullin
Overview
Sam, a soldier who had served in Afghanistan and Iraq, meets Amira when he visits her uncle, Bassam, who had served as Sam's Iraqi translator. Bassam and Sam have a special bond due to their time together in the war. Initially Amira does not trust him because he was an American soldier and her brother was killed by a bomb from American troops in the war. Sam's cousin, Charlie, asks Sam to help him with illegal hedge funds unbeknownst to Sam at the time. Amira is staying with her uncle Bassam since her father died. She sells bootlegged films on the street corner but is forced to stay with Sam after getting busted; immigration officials begin pursuing her. As the film progresses, Sam and Amira fall in love.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
Chief among its pluses is the low-key warmth of leads Martin Starr and Dina Shihabi.
"Amira & Sam" is all over the map in terms of tone. But it does score a few points as an unusual tale about the casualties of war.
This indie drama is unconvincing as a love story and heavy-handed in its message of tolerance.
It gets by on low-level sweetness and guile until delivering an unexpectedly powerful emotional sucker-punch at the end.
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