Plot:
Sam (Martin Starr), a soldier who had served in Afghanistan and Iraq, meets Amira (Dina Shihabi) when he visits her uncle, Bassam (Laith Nakli), who had served as Sam's Iraqi translator. Bassam and Sam have a special bond due to their time together in the war where Sam had saved Bassam when they were once ambushed. Initially Amira does not trust him because he was an American soldier and her brother was killed by a bomb from American troops in the war. Her frosty demeanor somewhat baffled Sam who is basically a decent guy.
Sam's cousin, Charlie, asks Sam to help him with illegal hedge funds unbeknownst to Sam at the time. Amira is staying with her uncle Bassam since her father died. She sells pirated films on the street corner but is forced to stay with Sam after getting busted; immigration officials begin pursuing her. As they spend the time together eluding the authorities, Sam and Amira warm into each other.
The adventurous wild streak in Amira just revel in Sam owning a motorbike and taking her on a boat trip, that somehow her icy cold treatment towards Sam just melts. However, problems occur when Amira accidentally hurt Claire, Charlie's pregnant fiancé during Sam and Charlie's scuffle. Claire presses charges and Amira ends up getting arrested and ordered for deportation.
Given just one day before deportation to sort her matters, Amira chooses to spend it with Sam where ultimately as the day draws to a close, they decide to run away together.
here's the full movie :)
Review:
Dina Shihabi as Amira is a complex twisted woman, wearing hijab but showing her skin oh so freely. there is the scene where she even tries whiskey, which is prohibited to Muslims. her answer is simple, she only does what she wants.
sigh. that is so wrong on so many levels for practicing Muslims. but I love her fire-spitting spirit though.
as for Sam, arghhhh.. what a voice Martin Starr has.. it's somewhat deadpan but the integrity of his character.. so squeaky clean, man, I understand why Amira falls for him. I would :smirk:
the story is simple. about a woman following her own rules, and a guy, holding steadfastly to his ideals, no matter how hard those are. together they have chemistry that binds them together.
the thing is, I wonder about the immigration procedures in the States. so easily they let go of Amira to submit herself for deportation the next day. tak takut dia larikah? I mean, given if it was me, I would run helter skelter, and I don't even have the evasive history that Amira has. seriously.
all in all, I like this story. the romance is believable. and the issues are too. the only bone I want to pick is that Amira does not represent a true Muslim woman. the way she dresses, the choices she makes etcetera etcetera only represents her as a rebellious Iraqi woman.
one point though, I like the part where it depicts her hijab covers her most beautiful self. the uncovering of it is indeed a scene so poignant, so intimate that one Muslim woman only does for one special person for her.