Amira & Sam

A nice surprise about 2 very different characters one an ex-army American soldier man and one Muslim refugee woman.

With that set-up this could have turned out to be just any typical rom-com fare but it avoids doing that by keeping a great sense of realism throughout the movie with characters and developments that all seem natural.

As a big 'Freaks and Geeks' fan from my youth it's nice to see yet another Apatow 'family member' get his shot at the limelight, in this case Martin Starr who played the lovable geek with massive glasses; Bill Haverchuck in the series.

And he handles the lead-role splendidly with natural charisma as does his love interest in the movie Dina Shihabi as Amira.

All in all a small independent drama-comedy that succeeds at being funny and dramatic when it's supposed to be, a slice of life type of movie.

We recently saw this film at the Napa Film Festival and thought it was not only the best movie in the festival but also one of the best movies we saw in 2014. If you have not seen it yet, put it on your "must see" list.

The story is a wonderful love story, complete with the strings tugging at your heart and the joy of seeing two people fall in love in current times. At first, Amira and Sam do not seem likely to form any sort of relationship but soon their true selves emerge, they learn how to communicate and respect each other, like and then love each other.

Writing a screenplay about a balanced, heartwarming and honest movie about a current veteran and an illegal immigrant is not easy, but Sean Mullin nailed it. The cast selection was also suburb - you will be wondering "Where did they find the woman who plays Amira?" She is simply terrific. New York, of course, plays itself.

And by the way, I don't agree with some of the other reviews saying that the movie incorrectly portrays Iraqi/Muslim women. I saw Amira as a smart, fiercely independent, strong and caring woman.

I saw this in Seattle and was shocked by how much I really enjoyed it. Its hard not to wince when I see trailers for another low-budget, indie rom-com, but Amira and Sam finds a way to seem fresh and funny without falling into the standard tropes. If you are a fan of dry humor, then this is going to hit all the right spots for you.

The top billed cast of Starr/Shihabi/Wesley are all immediately believable in their roles and are damn endearing. I had only known Martin Starr from the freaks and geeks days, but his stoicism really lent itself to his role as a recently returned vet. Half the fun of the movie is watching Sam (Starr) flounder through social interactions and day-to-day life while trying to get back up to speed with America and all of the ways that it has changed during his absence.

The soundtrack was pretty good too - it was just enough melody to help accentuate the touching parts of the film without being overbearing and forcing an emotion on you.

Very much recommended!

As an aside, I've read a few 1-star reviews from folks who admit to not even having seen the film. That's too bad - its a difficult thing to not walk away from a flick like this without a little pep in your step.

I enjoyed this movie a lot. I found it to be refreshing that a movie about a veteran doesn't descend into the jingoism so common in American movies about soldiers. I found the speed at which the romance developed to be unrealistically fast, but otherwise I found it quite believable.

Sadly, somebody attached to the movie felt it was appropriate to generate 39 fake reviews. It is possible that some are not fake, but when a review is posted _before_ the movie has been released, that's pretty bad. Normally, I wouldn't mention this because it seems like all movie companies do this on IMDb, but I've never seen such a high proportion of fakes for any other movie.

Just watched Amira & Sam at Hampton's Film Festival. Very pleasant surprise! Was expecting your run of mill "boy meets girl" love story and this was anything but that. The film is engaging and funny but at the same time exposes some sensitive political topics without ever making judgments or conclusions-- it leaves that to the viewer which is where it should be. The cast and the casting was fantastic. Starr (Sam) delivers a very convincing performance trying to maintain his principles in a world devoid of them. Dina Shihabi (Amira) matches him step for step. Their chemistry is undeniable and makes the movie click. Very strong debut for her -- who I expect we will see more of as she has the charisma, looks, talent and star power to go further. Also thought Paul Wesley was excellent as desperate, confused, generally weaselly Wall Street guy serving as the perpetual foil for development of Sam's character. Finally, Kudos to writer/director Mullin. From start to finish, the film was very well done. He is able to take several different themes and ideas and and roll them seamlessly into a film that was intriguing, funny and believable.