“Amira & Sam” is a movie about the disconnected wanting to form a sense of community. Sam can’t make sense of how America has changed since he was in Iraq. Amira is an immigrant trying to find her way in a system where capitalism and racism work hand-in-hand to keep her down. The two meet through a mutual connection, but they don’t initially know how to play it off. There’s an obvious connection between them, but will it amount to anything?
Martin Starr and Dina Shihabi are stunning in their first leading roles. Neither role is defined by the stereotypes surrounding the soldier/foreigner dynamic. These are people that have gotten past the basic crap that surrounds them and they just want to be happy. As they find happiness with each other, you’ll find yourself supporting the efforts to break past everyone else’s crap. It’s a refreshing take on modern romance and one that I’m pleased to see.
The Blu-Ray comes with a Digital HD copy, commentary, featurettes, outtakes, table read, trailers and a booklet as the special features. The A/V Quality continues the outstanding streak at Drafthouse Films. The 1080p transfer is fresh and the DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track pops for a modern romance. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.
Release Date: 05/05/15