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Cast: Hiam Abbass, Alia Shawkat, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Daniel Boiteau, Selena Haddad, Amer Hiehel, Jenna Kawar, Suheila Muallem, Mike O'Brien, Brodie Sanderson, Andrew Sannie, Miriam Smith, Jeff Sutton, Glen Thompson, Joseph Ziegler
Eager to provide a better future for her son, Fadi (Melkar Muallem), divorcée Muna Farah (Nisreen Faour) leaves her Palestinian homeland and takes up residence in rural Illinois -- just in time to encounter the domestic repercussions of America's disastrous war in Iraq. Now, the duo must reinvent their lives with some help from Muna's sister, Raghda (Hiam Abbass), and brother-in-law.
This is one of those films that could of easily become over-whelming with political messages on what it is like to be a Muslim in post 9/11 but instead the director created a film that while touching on all the important issues it still has enough hope and humor to make this an entertaining film. Muna is living in the military occupied West Bank with her son Fadi but when the opportunity comes up to move to America in search of a better life they pack up and head out. Director, Cherien Dabis certainly gets her message across in the film but she also manages to blend in the humor and heart felt emotion which creates a perfect balance. The cast is another reason the film works so well, Nisreen Faour is fantastic as Muna, this is one performance you would hope doesn't get over-looked come Oscar time. The rest of the supporting cast does a terrific job as well including, Hiam Abbass (Munich, The Visitor) who just seems to get better in every film she is in. Amreeka is a film that touches on every emotion and one of the best first-time directing jobs I have seen in some time. This is a solid film all the way around from the performances,cinematography and down to the score everything comes together to create a touching story while managing to put a smile on your face a long the way. If your a fan of drama with some comedy tossed in then I highly recommend picking this one up. Amreeka is an important story that also sends some universal messages out, there is no surprise this has won numerous awards with all the talent involved in the film. One of the few gems that came out in 2009 and a film you are sure to tell your friends and family about.
Released by Virgil Films and Entertainment
***** Out Of *****