I'm not one for mushy, gushy romantic movies, aka "chic flicks." At least not very often. I do, though, enjoy films that have a decent dose of romance—minus the mushy gushy—wrapped up in a good story.

The quirky romantic comedy AMIRA & SAM is my kind of film, with a good balance of sweet and silly amidst some serious social issues.

Sam (Martin Starr) is veteran Marine Sargent who's returned home to NYC after...