Amira & Sam

2014

1 hr. 28 min.

Comedy

Drama

Romance

List

80%

30 Reviews

Tomatometer

69%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

A veteran tries to assimilate back into civilian life in a country he barely recognizes while trying to win the heart of an Iraqi immigrant.

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Critics Consensus

Amira & Sam doesn't quite live up to its premise -- or the chemistry of its stars -- but its flaws are overcome by its sweet, subversive charm.

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Audience Member

Literally one of the worst movies the maker is pure racist he purposely showed the girl wearing cheap clothes and just made her wear scarf. Like really just because u want put someone down so much u force u will mock someone religion like this. Wearing deep neck showing her boobs wearing short dress then why the hell is she wearing scarf. If you want ti profit of someone's culture atleast don't mock them. Racist pig

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Late R

A lovely little movie about two very genuine-feeling characters that fall in love despite being on seemingly opposing sides. Starr puts in a nice performance, but it's Dina Shihabi who really steals the show with her fantastic portrayal of an unconventional damsel-in-distress. Both Starr and Shihabi make it very easy to feel a connection to their characters and to become invested in their futures as they attempt to solve their respective problems that threaten to tear them apart. 'Amira & Sam' definitely isn't flashy with a big Hollywood feel and it really is the characters themselves that sell the film, a huge credit to the script writer. This is one for all the romantics out there.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/18/17

Full Review

Audience Member

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

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Very nice enjoyable film. Well done. I thought the chemistry between Sam and Amira was real and alive.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The movie was alright. The female character had me confused-Her head was always covered, but her chest and legs were exposed?...Umm, okay.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Amira & Sam are both perfect and beautifully flawed characters.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

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Sean Mullin

Director

Martin Starr

Sam

Dina Shihabi

Amira

Paul Wesley

Charlie

Laith Nakli

Bassam

David Rasche

Jack

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Jessica Luther

Bitch Media

This rom-com is, at points, too big for its britches. But Shihabi and Starr ground the characters, they make them believable, and they make you fall in love with them.

Jan 25, 2021

Full Review

Mark Dujsik

RogerEbert.com

When the eponymous couple is together, 'Amira & Sam' is an earnest and considerate examination of two people falling in love, but the movie lacks certainty when handling these characters separately.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jan 30, 2015

Full Review

Jeannette Catsoulis

New York Times

The script is thoughtful, but its anger is diffuse, with laissez-faire capitalism and the problems of illegal immigrants and returning soldiers jostling for attention.

Jan 29, 2015

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

A modest, carefully performed New York love story that unites disparate cultures across a variety of potential incendiary topics.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 18, 2019

Full Review

Charles Mudede

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

This film, oddly enough, manages not only to draw convincing performances from the leads, but also to connect, with very light hands, American militarism with finance capital.

Aug 28, 2018

Full Review

John Fink

The Film Stage

A kind of counter-narrative, free from partisan political commentary, Amira & Sam takes the smart high ground

Rated: B+

Feb 24, 2016

Full Review

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Synopsis

A veteran tries to assimilate back into civilian life in a country he barely recognizes while trying to win the heart of an Iraqi immigrant.

Director: Sean Mullin
Executive Producer: James Ponsoldt, Patrick Callahan, Meg Montagnino-Jarrett, Fred Sherrill
Screenwriter: Sean Mullin
Production Co: Vanishing Angle, Five By Eight Productions, Strongman Pictures, Hole in 1 Productions
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 7, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $30.8K

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