Amreeka

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Amreeka is strategically inviting and carefully mild even when making unsubtle points about Palestinian suffering and American insensitivity.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Amreeka is anything but a depressing digression on American wartime paranoia.

USA Today Claudia Puig

This slice of American life, as seen through the eyes of Palestinian immigrants, is nuanced, engaging and authentically observed.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

A heartwarming film, not a political dirge. Much of this warmth comes from the actress Nisreen Faour.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Calvin Wilson

It's one of the funniest and most perceptive films of the year.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

This is a pointed, emotional story of a divorced Palestinian woman and her son who immigrate to the U.S. just after the invasion of Iraq, a story that benefits from Dabis' background as a child growing up in the Midwest during the Gulf War as the daughter of a Palestinian father and a Jordanian mother.

Washington Post Jan Stuart

Abetted by an observant cast, she (Dabis) navigates across politically and emotionally fraught terrain with a warming inflection of humor and a mother-hen's attention to the needs of all of her characters.

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

Dabis, a Palestinian-American, has thoroughly re-energized the genre with refreshing wit, honest emotions, incisive observations and a perfect cast.

Variety Rob Nelson

A culture-clash dramedy whose background in Middle-East conflict is leavened with vibrant energy, balanced politics and droll humor by first-time feature director Cherien Dabis.

Village Voice Ella Taylor

There's nothing bitter or cynical about Amreeka, which is directed with impish wit, an observant visual competence, and an open, conciliatory spirit.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

A kind of stealth political film that confronts issues of ethnic tension and American xenophobia.

San Francisco Chronicle Walter Addiego

The acting is good, particularly by Faour, who plays the naive, zaftig heroine as warm and appealing despite her troubles. It's also nice to see veteran Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass ("Lemon Tree"), who plays Muna's sister.

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

It’s one of the richer movies you’re likely to see about average Arabs in America.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

Filmmaker Dabis based Amreeka on her own family's experiences in the rural Midwest during the first Gulf War. Although the drama heads on a predictable course, Faour brings intelligence and humor to her performance and Muallem, as the smart adolescent turned surly and scared, is likewise sharp.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

This small gem takes a basically optimistic view about the struggles that generations of immigrants have endured.

New Orleans Times-Picayune Mike Scott

Only one of a number of recent immigrant tales to hit theaters, but with its blend of sweet humor and topical relevance, it's one of the more compelling -- and surprising -- in some time.

LA Weekly Scott Foundas

When most filmmakers want to say something important about cultural conflicts, they labor to bring tears to our eyes. Dabis, by contrast, makes us laugh at ourselves and, in turn, each other.

The New York Times Stephen Holden

One of the most accomplished recent films about a non-European immigrant coming to the United States.

Wall Street Journal Joanne Kaufman

Writer-director Cherien Dabis shot Amreeka in a gritty documentary style that reflects the often grim reality of the characters' situation. But he also knows how to mine the comic situations that are often part of the immigrant experience.

Time Out New York Stephen Garrett

If the story were more arresting, and the filmmaking more original, then the notions of post-9/11 assimilation might be more compelling. As it stands, the movie just serves up another warmed-over Ellis Island rehash.

Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall

With her large, expressive eyes, abundant warmth, and radiant energy, Faour commands our sympathy, even through some weak dialogue and even weaker plot points.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Noel Murray

Amreeka lacks the sense of humor that set "Aliens In America" apart--and frankly, it’s rarely as insightful about the biases and strengths either of Arab émigrés or of sheltered Midwesterners.

New York Daily News Joe Neumaier

Faour and Muallen give solid performances, but there are a few too many by-the-numbers moments.