A fresh take on boy-meets-girl comedy set in Detroit. Sami runs his immigrant familys gas station with his cousin Mike a charismatic hustler with dreams of expanding into an unleaded empire. More than just a pit stop for late-night gas and rolling papers their station is where a steady stream of unforgettable and often hilarious customers flow through. When a gorgeous up-do girl named Najlah comes to deliver cheap long-distance phone cards Sami quickly falls for her from behind the bulletproof glass. Afraid her overprotective brother Fadi will disapprove Najlah begins an under-the-counter romance with Sami making his shift anything but routine.
Review
Awwright! A Deetroit romcom with Arabs! What could be cooler Actually not much. Forget Clint Eastwood and "Gran Torino". Detroit is hip and multicultural despite the ghetto image. Ms. Nashef's first feature almost certainly the first comedy focused on ArabAmericans is mustsee for anyone with a Detroit connection. However everyone will enjoy this story of the unlikely courtship of a 20ish fellow who inherits his father's gas bar under unfortunate circumstances and his sassy bright girlfriend both from Dearborn's ArabAmerican community. It is an often hilarious take on how the second generation balances the traditional mores of their immigrant parents with mainstream American values. Wrapped all night in his plexiglass ⋊ge" in his gas station Sami (E.J. Assi) dreams of Naj (Nada Shouhayib) and gradually woos her through all night talk and flirtation under the counter (and no she is not that kind of girl!). Along the way there are whacked out but also surprisingly friendly encounters with his largely African American customers despite the plexiglass wall. Ms. Nashef doesn't hide the ghetto where the station is located (actually near East Grand Boulevard and Woodward) nor does she exaggerate or stereotype it. She has a fine comic touch (my favourite scene is when Naj and her girlfriends drive to the gas bar to check out Sami after a night of surreptitious and forbidden clubbing) but also displays her characters' confusion and inner conflict in a heartfelt fashion. In the Qɪ after the film at the Toronto International Film Festival Ms. Nashef said that she kept religion out of the film indeed there are no hijabs in sight in order to focus on the Arab immigrant experience this renders the film somewhat artificial however. The movie flies along but winds up a bit too quickly my only gripe with otherwise flawless pacing. When asked after the movie how her rather untraditional career has been received by her community she said that she has had terrific support from her family but "my mom still wants me to get married". Hey she's a catch and given her talent and drive she will be a rich one too.