Cherien Dabis, the director, does a wonderful job of making this story a heartfelt look at what it means to be an outsider and what it means to believe in something so strongly, you will do whatever it takes to make it work.

| Jul 21, 2021

In just 90 minutes, [Cherien Dabis] deftly explores big themes - alienation, cultural identity, and a sense of belonging - carefully detailing the immigrant experience.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 22, 2021

Enjoyable but uneven, Amreeka is an unlikely comic take on the plight of the displaced, at home and abroad.

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 16, 2011

It sounds heavygoing but if anything Amreeka is a little too sweet and cosy for its own good.

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 15, 2011

Not a subtle film, but an attractive, affecting one.

| May 15, 2011

In attempt to sustain momentum, the film begins to lurch from comic-book realism to join-the-dots melodrama.

| Original Score: 2/5 | May 13, 2011

This is a vulnerable but proud woman who we can't help but like.

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 13, 2011

The film is more gentle than harsh, relying on a very fine performance from the charming Faour and settings in Palestine and Illinois that seem very real.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 13, 2011

The political issues are a little heavy handed but the story - partly drawn from the director's own experience - works best when it focuses on the personal.

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 12, 2011

It's charming and laidback, preferring wry, compassionate humour to politicking.

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 11, 2011

You'll end up baffled that a film built on such shaky foundations can end up being so impossibly sweet.

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 10, 2011

Likeable but lightweight, Dabis' emigration tale plays largely for laughs, sapping some of the drama from the storyline.

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 9, 2011

A winning tale of battling racism and prejudice in multi-cultural America.

| Original Score: 4.0 | Dec 29, 2010

A giant bland-fest, unleashing a misfiring charm offensive in place of strong characterisation or a story that has a destination in mind.

| Original Score: 1/5 | Jul 22, 2010

It's funny, it's politically charged, it's deeply felt, and director Cherien Dabis keeps skillful control over all of these aspects to maintain balance.

| Original Score: 7.7/10 | Jul 3, 2010

Writer-director Cherien Dabis too easily resolves or dismisses the characters' problems, making way for an upbeat ending.

| Dec 18, 2009

Amreeka is 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.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Dec 11, 2009

Dabis wisely keeps her film firmly grounded in the personal and specific...focusing on the experiences of one family which she makes us care about.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Nov 20, 2009

It's the humanity of the work that makes it resonate and the insight into a culture closed to most Australians that makes it illuminating

| Nov 13, 2009

Writer director Cherien Dabis writes about what she knows about being a stranger in a new land: the difficulties, the isolation, the conflicts, the misunderstandings. The result is a heartfelt and engaging film

| Nov 13, 2009