Amira & Sam

Writer-director Sean Mullin gives us some of the usual beats, but he and his performers invest them with rare persuasive power.

Starr and Shihabi, a charming newcomer, play off each other beautifully, and even when the film becomes a little too heavy-handed...their relationship keeps it grounded.

Having downplayed its love story at the start, the picture swells romantically in an unexpectedly pleasing way. It may not be enough to convince audiences that Starr should be Hollywood's next romantic lead, but for these two characters, the chemistry is just right.

An earnest and considerate examination of two people falling in love, but the movie lacks certainty when handling these characters separately.

Nothing feels truly at stake, no matter how weighty the risks the characters face, but there are charming moments along the way.

Somehow, writer-director Sean Mullin’s short, far-fetched love affair comedy charms and works more often than not.

Written and directed by Sean Mullin, a comedian and onetime Army officer (he plays a comic in the film), Amira & Sam is more successful as a portrait of veteran alienation than as a romance.

Amira and Sam is just delightful. It's fast-paced and witty yet deals with some truly serious issues. The actors are terrific, especially the uncle, and I found it to be timely and timeless at the same time.

Amira & Sam is a lean and witty romantic comedy with a unique premise that invites the viewer to dig a layer deeper into the psychology of its characters. It's a short, sweet, and smart film that's hard not to like.

Witty and romantic, a delightful human tale. There is much to enjoy, most notably the "bed" scene. As a new actress Dina Shihabi is outstanding, worthy of award consideration. I look forward to seeing more of her in the future. Though not deep the movie engages the viewer throughout and is well worthwhile.

I loved this movie. The characters are so lovable and human. They are flawed but are really very sweet and innocent, yet calmly defiant in their own right. The cinematography is excellent and I found NYC to be another lovable character in the story. If you like romance and humor but are tired of stereotype I think this movie will appeal to you.

A deliberate romance drama!!! It looks good, but not very enjoyable. I would have liked if it was focused only on Sam about a soldier's struggle since his return from the war like the 2009 film 'The Messenger' perhaps. The Amira's character seems deliberately put in, especially in the present western world scenario to tell what's wrong with them. So sorry, this did not click for me. But I like some parts, like how the character Amira transformed compared to the beginning and ending. Martin Starr was at his best and that's why its watchable. Some people might like the film for its simpleness, but the screenplay should have been improved. They covered many topics like wall street, unemployed ex soldier, immigrant et cetera in 90 minutes, but when it comes to the romance part, the reality was missing. So like I said, intentionally the lead two characters put together to bring attention, rather to tell a neat romantic tale. It it like 'Learning to Drive' kind of film. That aimed to reveal the cultural clash between two and how it stands as an obstacle between their feeling to each other. This is not for everybody, even the middle eastern audience might be annoyed about how Amira was portrayed in a few scenes. But those are the parts I liked the most from it. Just once watchable. 4/10