SLIFF 2014 Review – AMIRA & SAM

AMIRA & SAM screens Saturday, November 22nd at 7:30pm at The Plaza Frontenac Theater as part of the St. Louis International Film Festival. Ticket information can be found HERE

Review by Kathy Kaiser

Apparently this year’s SLIFF is full of touching and moving love stories….first their was THE MAKINGS OF YOU and now, AMIRA & SAM has captured the essence of a classic love story too…

As we meet Sam (Martin Starr in his first leading role) he is an Army sergeant who has just returned from Iraq. Like many of our military, Sam is trying to acclimate himself back here in the states. When visiting his Iraqi friend Bassam (Laith Nakli), he is introduced to Bassam’s niece Amira (Dina Shihabi), who wants nothing to do with this American Soldier. Trying to make ends meet, Amira sells pirated DVD’s on the street to supplement her Uncle’s job, but is doing it illegally, and with a fake ID and Visa – not a wise choice on the street’s of New York! Amira is arrested, but flees when an opportunity arises, so that she is not arrested and deported. Bassam reaches out to Sam to help her, as she cannot return home since the police know where she lives, and Bassam is out of town. Sam is a man of his word, so he puts Amira up at his apartment, as they try to make the most of this unfortunate situation. Amira finds that she have may have been too hasty in her judgments about this American, as she comes to find that he is incredibly sweet and warm, and very funny. Sam finds too, that maybe there is more to their cohabitation in Bassam’s absence than meets the eye…

AMIRA & SAM is a heartwarming love story, beautifully portrayed by two relatively unknown actors, whose engaging presence on screen with this film, will inevitably secure their continued success in the industry. Martin Starr’s portrayal is both endearing and hilarious, as he definitely played both parts of his persona – Army man and stand up comic to perfection, and Dina Shihabi is not only beautiful, but a talented actress as well. It was also great to see St. Louis native David Rasche back on the big screen, is his small, but pivotal role. If you were wondering if AMIRA & SAM was maybe the right film for you to catch at this year’s festival, the answer is definitely YES… as you will absolutely enjoy this film from beginning to end!