Amreeka
From the West Bank to White Castle fl ips the resilient heroine of Amreeka, a culture-clash dramedy whose background in Middle-East confl ict is leavened with vibrant energy, balanced politics and droll humor by fi rst-time feature director Cherien Dabis. Enormously appealing turn by earthy Nisreen Faour in the lead role of Muna, a Palestinian single mother who brings her teenage son to rural Illinois in pursuit of a brighter future, more than makes up for the fi lm’s familiarities. (…)
In addition to Faour’s irresistible turn as Muna, acting is strong and believable. Dabis and her crew make creative use of locations in the teeming West Bank and the wide-open spaces of suburban Illinois. The images, captured with handheld fi lm cameras, have a pleasingly grainy texture, and the sprinkling of Arabic pop on the soundtrack helps keep Dabis’ tribute to Middle-Eastern culture authentic and jaunty.
– ROB NELSON, VARIETYDuration: 96 min
Dialogue: English, Arabic
Subtitles: English
Credits
Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Alia Shawkat, Yussef Abu Warda, Joseph Ziegler
