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Cherien Dabis’ bittersweet Amreeka (2009) (Arabic for ‘America’) follows the fortunes of Muna (Nisreen Faour), a single, divorced mother, who lives in the West Bank with her teenage son, Fadi (Melkar Muallem). The opening scenes show Muna and her son having to endure regular military checkpoints on her daily commute to work in a bank. Tobias Datum shoots these scenes through the rear view mirror and dusty windscreen of Muna’s car, giving a distancing effect.Read more »...

Attack The Block (15)

(Joe Cornish, 2011, UK) John Boyega, Nick Frost, Jodie Whittaker. 88 mins

More Critters than Cloverfield, this alien-invasion movie is modest in scale and ambition but makes up for it in local flavour. The setting is south London – Brit cinema's default "ghetto" location, bruv – where sharp-toothed ETs come to regret messing with the hoodies, who team up with their recent victim and the upstairs drug dealer to defend their manor. It's no Shaun Of The Dead, but it's up-to-date and fitfully entertaining, and there's at least some social grit beneath the down-with-the-kids comedy.

A Screaming Man (PG)

(Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, 2010, Cha/Fra/Bel) Youssouf Djaoro, Dioucounda Koma, Emile Abssolo M'Bo. 91 mins

Saying a great deal with few resources, this skillful Chadian drama finds weighty moral, global and generational concerns in the story of a swimming pool attendant and his son.

Love Like Poison (15)

(Katell Quillévéré, 2010, Fra) Clara Augarde, Lio, Stefano Cassetti.

Chicago – Nominating Cherien Dabis’s “Amreeka” for an Independent Spirit Award is sort of redundant, since the film has, in a sense, been nominated many times before. The film will only seem original to audiences unfamiliar with “The Visitor,” “Real Women Have Curves,” and “Crash” (and no, I’m not referring to the one about James Spader’s fetish for car accidents).

Yet, for all its inherent predictability, “Amreeka” nearly manages to work in spite of itself. It tells the story of a single mother, Muna (Nisreen Faour), living with her teenage son, Fadi (Melkar Muallem), in the Palestinian city of Ramallah. They live under the surveillance of Israeli authorities while attempting to cross the border. When Muna finally receives her visa to the Us, it seems as if her ticket to freedom has finally arrived.

DVD Rating: 3.0/5.0

Muna and Fadi land in a Chicago airport on the same day that Us troops invade Iraq.

The difficulties faced when the mideast meets the midwest soon after the 9/11 attacks provides the drama in director/writer Cherien Dabis’ new film Amreeka. From Palestine to White Castle, Amreeka is a classic American immigrant story that follows the adventures of a heavy-set 40ish woman from her war-torn homeland to suburban Illinois. It’s a story that’s been told countless times and when Amreeka sticks to the fish-out-of-water elements, it’s a warm and entertaining study of struggle and displacement. Where the film falters is in its narrow-minded and one-dimensional view of mistrusting Americans as racists and hatemongers.

Divorced and discouraged, Palestinian bank employee Muna (Nisreen Faour) scores a green card (it’s not made clear exactly how) and flees the occupied West Bank with her teenaged son, Fadi (Melkar Muallem), to move in with her sister Raghda (Hiam Abbass) and her family somewhere 150 miles from Chicago. Unfortunately, calamity strikes immediately,...

Perhaps, there is no more fitting day than September 11th to write about a film that reminds us of our shared humanity as we struggle to survive, better ourselves, and deal with the subject of loss. Currently, this is exemplified in a new film by first-time, feature-length director and writer Cherien Dabis, from whom I feel certain we will see more exciting film-making. Amreeka, is the Arabic word for America, which Dabis knows so well for she is the daughter of Palestinian-Jordanian immigrants who came to the Midwest before she was born. Dabis' new film is a compelling look at Muna (Nisreen Faour), a lovely, divorced, overweight, overeducated Palestinian woman living in the West Bank with her teenage son Fadi (Melkar Muallem) and her mother. Stopping for groceries before she makes the long and arduous journey home through...

From writer-director Cherien Dabis, Amreeka takes on a loaded subject, strips it of its political ramifications and draws out the common humanity underwriting even the most divisive of hot button issues. About a Palestinian family struggling to adjust to immigrant life in America, the film turns on the everyday challenges, poignant small triumphs and burdens of the daily grind they face and strive to overcome. There’s no aggrandizing or preaching, just an understanding of the difficulties that arise in any sort of clash of cultures and the hopeful suggestion that, were we just more willing to talk to each other, some of them might be solved. The picture, set in 2003 at the start of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, stars the wonderful actress Nisreen Faour as Muna Farah, mother to Fadi (Melkar Muallem), who seizes on the opportunity to move with her son from their restrictive West Bank home to small town Illinois, where...

A Palestinian single mom goes to White Castle in Cherien Dabis' "Amreeka," a charming comedy about cultural clashes in Illinois on the eve of the Us invasion of Iraq.

Nisreen Faour is charismatic as the chubby protagonist, who is so weary of crossing through roadblocks that she takes her 16-year-old son (Melkar Muallem) to America.

Arriving at the airport, her cookie tins are confiscated by customs agents -- along with her life savings.

Living with her married sister, our heroine, a bank manager back home,...

The coming Labor Day weekend box office isn't marked by a single heavy-hitting blockbuster. Which isn't to say movie-goers don't have options. Even putting aside summer leftovers like "Inglourious Basterds," "District 9" and the past weekend's "Halloween II"/"The Final Destination" two-fer, the weekend brings several new offerings which service a wide cross-section of viewing tastes.

For the hopeless romantics and traditional date night-ers among us, there's "All About Steve," starring summer favorites Sandra Bullock ("The Proposal") and Bradley Cooper ("The Hangover"). When Mary Horowitz (Bullock) falls for her blind date, a news cameraman (Cooper), she sets off on a trip to follow him. Too bad he thinks she's a nutball.

Next is "Extract," one-half of my planned weekend double-feature. "Office Space" director Mike Judge is back with a reversal on his 1999 classic: here we see the bossman (Jason Bateman) constantly being undermined by his colorful assortment of employees. I've...

Editor’S Note: This review was originally published as part of indieWIRE’s coverage of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. “Amreeka” opens this Friday. Palestinian filmmaker Cherien Dabis’s “Amreeka”—Arabic for “America”—uses the basic formula of the classic immigration story and more or less succeeds with it. Shot in the West Bank and Canada, the movie follows a middle-aged Palestinian woman named Muna (Nisreen Faour) and her disgruntled teenage son Fadi (Melkar Muallem) whose …...

Editor’S Note: This review was originally published as part of indieWIRE’s coverage of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. “Amreeka” opens this Friday. Palestinian filmmaker Cherian Dabis’s “Amreeka”—Arabic for “America”—uses the basic formula of the classic immigration story and more or less succeeds with it. Shot in the West Bank and Canada, the movie follows a middle-aged Palestinian woman named Muna (Nisreen Faour) and her disgruntled teenage son Fadi (Melkar Muallem) whose …...

Editor’S Note: This review was originally published as part of indieWIRE’s coverage of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. “Amreeka” opens this Friday. Palestinian filmmaker Cherien Dabis’s “Amreeka”—Arabic for “America”—uses the basic formula of the classic immigration story and more or less succeeds with it. Shot in the West Bank and Canada, the movie follows a middle-aged Palestinian woman named Muna (Nisreen Faour) and her disgruntled teenage son Fadi (Melkar Muallem) whose …...

Movie Jungle has new film clips as well as interview excerpts from National Geographic's "Amreeka" drama starring Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Alia Shawkat and Jenna Kawar. Cherien Dabis directs the fim produced by First Generation Films, Alcina Pictures, Eagle Vision, Media Group, Buffalo Gal Pictures and Levantine Entertainment. A Palestinian single mom and her teenage son arrive in rural Illinois to escape a life of oppression, only to face the fallout from America's war on Iraq...

See the trailer for "Amreeka," starring Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Alia Shawkat and Jenna Kawar. The drama is produced by First Generation Films, Alcina Pictures, Eagle Vision, Media Group, Buffalo Gal Pictures and Levantine Entertainment. National Geographic sends this critically acclaimed film by Cherien Dabis out on September 4th. A Palestinian single mom and her teenage son arrive in rural Illinois to escape a life of oppression...

The Sundance Film Festival officially announced the lineup for the films playing in competition next month. The 16 movies will compete for the Grand Jury Prize in Park City, Utah at the 25th anniversary of the largest independent film festival in the U.S. from January 15-25.

The list was announced by festival director Geoff Gilmore, who recently received the first annual Sydney Pollack Award.

At the bottom of the page is a full list with synopsis and partial cast lists, but I wanted to focus on a few of the titles that stand out. Alphabetical order with omissions of films I don’t care about yet:

Arlen Faber - A single mother and a man out of rehab intrude into the life of a reclusive author, played by Jeff Daniels. He’s my other favorite Jeff, but I also like young actresses Kat Dennings and Olivia Thirlby.

Big Fan -...

I am heading out the door and have no time to really dig into this, but here is the line-up for next year's 2009 Sundance Film Festival as reported by Variety. Dramatic Competition Adam, directed and written by Max Mayer ("Better Living"), about a slightly dysfunctional man's attempt at a relationship with an alluring new neighbor. Stars Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison. Amreeka, directed and written by Cherien Dabis, a drama examining the challenges faced by a divorced Palestinian woman and her teenage son upon moving to rural Illinois. With Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem. Arlen Faber, directed and written by John Hindman, about the intrusion of two strangers into the life of a famous reclusive author. With Jeff Daniels, Lauren Graham, Lou Pucci, Olivia Thirlby, Kat Dennings. Big Fan, directed and written by Robert Siegel (writer of "The Wrestler"), which hinges on the reaction of a...

U.S. Dramatic Competition

This year's 16 films were selected from 1,026 submissions. Each film is a world premiere.

Adam (Director-screenwriter: Max Mayer)

A strange and lyrical love story between a somewhat socially dysfunctional young man and the woman of his dreams. Cast: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison.

Amreeka (Director-screenwriter: Cherien Dabis)

When a divorced Palestinian woman and her teenage son move to rural Illinois at the outset of the Iraq war, they find their new lives replete with challenges. Cast: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Alia Shawkat.

Big Fan (Director-screenwriter: Robert Siegel)

The world of a parking garage attendant who happens to be the New York Giants' biggest fan is turned upside down after an altercation with his favorite player. Cast: Patton Oswalt, Michael Rapaport, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Matt Servitto.

Brief Interviews With Hideous Men (Director-screenwriter: John Krasinski)

When her boyfriend leaves with little explanation,...

• If you are wondering what are the kinds of films that come out of this particular section - look no further then in current headline grabber examples such as with Ballast and Frozen River. So there is always reason to be excited about the announcement of this section. As expected the debuts from Sophie Barthes, John Hindman and Cruz Angeles will be the make up of 16 film selection (read my predictions here). I'm already familiar with at least half of the projects as with John Krasinski’s debut and Adam Salky’s feature length film project but of course, the rest were completely off my radar. Among the projects we covered here are Lee Daniels’ latest Push (not the Summit film) which includes Lenny Kravitz’ screen debut (which means we can expect him to pick up a guitar for one of them parties). THR announced that Nicholas Jasenovec and

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