Movie Summary
A story about Amira and Sam…lolz…But seriously, Sam just returned from a tour of duty in the Middle East. He is trying to acclimate back to civilian life, but it isn’t going so well. Amira is the niece of a man that Sam met in Iraq. They meet when Sam is visiting her uncle. It’s not love at first sight.
Sam isn’t really sure where he fits in now that he is back from the war. His cousin Charlie who works on Wall Street sees potential in Sam’s veteran status to entice potential clients who are also veterans. As Sam begins to see a potential future career, Amira begins to warm up to him, and that’s when things get interesting…
The pacing starts out a little slow, mostly due to awkward dialogue (that is supposed to be awkward, to be fair) or lack of dialogue, but all of this front matter pays off as the film unfolds. Trust us, it’s worth getting through the first 15-20 minutes.
Movie Themes
Anne: Like we said, this move is more than just a sweet rom-com, it deals with some serious themes. One being racism and Islamic-American Relations. I have an aunt and uncle who are Muslim who moved to the U.S. during the first Gulf War, so I’ve seen first hand the distrust that many people have towards Muslims. I was really glad that this film dealt with that. It also showed that not all Muslims are the same. The women I know dress much more conservatively than Amira does in the movie, but much like Christianity, there are different sects of Islam, and some of the behaviors and dress are as much cultural as they are religious. I liked how the movie didn’t oversell this theme, but still addressed it.
Lorena: I absolutely agree. The screenwriter was a captain in the US Army National Guard and was a first responder during 9/11 and it is really evident that his experiences are woven into this film’s themes and how these themes are treated. It is refreshing to watch a movie that doesn’t trivialize or stereotype… every character felt really true to life. There’s a moment when Sam sees his uncle (Charlie’s dad) at a party and their relationship is defined when Sam says, “We missed you at [my dad’s] funeral.” and then his uncle launches into how Amira is making people feel uncomfortable. To me this was the closest we got to stereotyping, but I felt like the line about the funeral kept it genuine, given how crappy of a person Sam’s uncle is, which of course clarifies some things about Charlie’s character.
Anne: Another theme touched on is that of veterans returning from war to civilian life. You can tell that Sam has a different perspective on life that comes from making sacrifices and living through hard things. You feel his pain as he tries to relate to people who will never understand what he has lived through and don’t have perspective outside of their little bubble of life. I like how the movie shows a veteran who has come back changed, but in a good way that has given him perspective and more of a global mindset.
Lorena: Yes! I loved this theme, which is really the core theme of the film I felt. How they demonstrate the VA Office and Sam’s employer, everyone… it’s just like this overall pitying feeling and Sam doesn’t want to be pitied. It was really well done. Plus there is another character who fought in the Vietnam War that Sam has dinner with, and that scene is so nicely acted and written. This conversation really paints the global mindset part of the theme that Anne was talking about.
Sam Played by Martin Starr
Anne: Martin Starr is not super well known, he was in a few movies I’ve never seen and has made some single episode appearances on a few TV shows I like such as New Girl and How I Met Your Mother. He does a fantastic job in the role of Sam. He is sweet while not being a pushover, you feel his sense of being out of place without pitying him. You genuinely want good things for him, and the integrity of his character does not disappoint.
Lorena: Yeah, I’d never heard of him or seen him before this movie. You nailed it with the “sweet while not being a pushover” and “you feel his sense of being out of place without pitying him.” It is real! That’s a hard line to walk for an actor, and he does it incredibly well.
Amira Played by Dina Shihabi
Anne: Dina Shihabi is a very fresh face, as she has only a handful of credits on her iMDb page. But WOW, she is gorgeous. Dina’s character development throughout the movie is great as she goes from a woman who is very guarded and distrusting to one who opens up and allows you to see her sweet and adventurous spirit.
Lorena: Dina is super gorgeous! I hope to see her in a lot of things. I really liked how relatable her character was… probably the nicest character in the film, actually. There were definitely times in the film when the dialogue or pacing felt weird or off, but none of the scenes that she was in. She has some of the best lines in the movie!
Also, I read this interview with her, and she speaks about the reality for interpreters in wartime. I thought this was incredibly fascinating and sort of want a whole movie about that! Maybe there will be a sequel. As someone who works in languages, I found it impressive that in real life she doesn’t speak the dialect of Arabic that she speaks in the film. She does a great job.
Not Really About Paul Wesley
Lorena: Even though Drafthouse is pushing the Paul Wesley aspect of the film, he’s not really the star of the thing. I thought he did a standup job though. As a longtime Vampire Diaries viewer, it was refreshing to see Paul in such a different role from Stefan. I believed he was Charlie right away and never faltered, so, great job.
His character is not likeable at all, and there’s a great scene towards the end between Charlie and Sam in a diner that really made the movie hit home for me. There’s a chance for Charlie to go a sappy, stereotypical way, and he does not. The writing in that scene, coupled with Paul and Martin’s acting really confirms the “realness” of this film. I was so pleased to see this particular scene. Also, since the movie is set in 2008, you know that Charlie is going to get some of what is coming to him.
In Conclusion?
GO SEE THIS MOVIE!
It is such a great movie and will be sitting in my mind and heart for a long time. Living in NYC, I will admit that I did enjoy this aspect of the film. The scenes where Amira and Sam are on the bench by the Verranzano Bridge totally looks like the bench I inch by when I’m stuck in traffic. I will now always think of them when I drive by it. We both agreed the ending is a bit unrealistic, especially in light of the rest of the movie, but, hey, it’s a rom-com, right?
All in all this movie is worth it and I’m glad it got made and picked up. Hopefully everyone will cast Dina Shihabi now!!
Here’s a list of screening locations.
And here’s the trailer if you need more convincing…
