Amira & Sam

Fresh faces enhance a somewhat contrived opposites-attract dramedy with a timely Islamic cultural hook. Sam (Martin Starr) is a returned vet living in New York City, working menial jobs and more bemused than bitter towards a society in which his peers—who all talked big about going to fight after 9/11—instead stayed behind to become snotty mini-Wolves of Wall Street, exploiting Sam's military background for their own gain. Keeping a promise to an old Iraqi ally, Sam offers his apartment as a refuge for Amira (Dina Shihabi), a liberal-minded, fiercely independent Muslim woman in danger of deportation by U.S. immigration authorities. Having lost her father in Iraq in a coalition "friendly fire" incident, Amira naturally hates easygoing vet Sam. And, of course, they fall for each other. While Amira & Sam is somewhat formulaic and occasionally head-shaking (how many unemployed guys in New York own a yacht?), this should be considered a strong optional purchase. (C. Cassady)