'If You See Something' Courtesy of Joint Venture Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment In a country that is increasingly hostile to immigrants, many are faced with outrageous barriers to living peaceful and prosperous lives. If You See Something is a film about that struggle, highlighting all the prejudice and red tape that complicate what should be straightforward processes of naturalization. The film follows a young Iraqi doctor seeking asylum in the United States with the help of his white American girlfriend. Before the events of the movie, Ali (Adam Bakri) performed surgery on a young girl to save her eye. But because he doesn't have a license to practice medicine in the United States, he's now at risk of arrest and deportation before he even gets his final asylum appointment. His girlfriend Katie (Jess Jacobs) dreams about the surgery, which fills her with dread about their chances of staying together. Related Stories Movies Angelina Jolie, Doug Liman Team for Spy Thriller 'The Initiative' (Exclusive) Movies Matt Damon on Teaming With Casey Affleck for 'The Instigators': "43 Years Into This Friendship, It's Just the Joy of Doing What We Love" If You See Something The Bottom Line Resonant, but not always persuasive. Release date: Friday, November 14 Cast: Adam Bakri, Jess Jacobs, Tarek Bisharav, Lucy Owen, Hadi Tabbal, Krystina Alabado, Reggie Gowland, Hend Ayoub, Nasser Faris, Reed BirneyWriter: Avram Noble Ludwig, Jess JacobsDirector: Oday Rasheed 1 hour 48 minutes Ali has been living with Katie after a whirlwind romance that baffled her family and especially angered her father, Ward (Reed Birney). And after a tense family dinner, it seems like the rift between Katie and her family is only going to get larger. Despite her privileged background, Katie understands how difficult life was for Ali in Iraq and even became close to his good friend Dawod (Hadi Tabbal). When he's kidnapped back home in Baghdad and held for ransom, Ali will do anything to save him. He makes the decision to protect Katie by leaving her so that she won't get mixed up in the hostage negotiation. But his attempts at secrecy backfire, as Katie becomes determined to help, whether he wants it or not. There are the bones of a compelling story here, but one aspect of the narrative doesn't convince: Ali and Katie have absolutely no chemistry. Bakri and Jacobs circle each other with polite admiration. There are no tender moments where they hold each other or seem to hunger for each other sexually. They live together like roommates, always keeping a respectable distance. It would be easier to root for their love if we could actually see it ourselves. This issue ripples out to Katie's conflict with her father: When he says that Katie only thinks she loves him, it's hard to disagree. Jacobs plays Katie like a woman with everything to prove, willing to put her entire future in jeopardy for a man she has no real passion for in the first place. It's easy to see what If You See Something (which was executive produced by Doug Liman) is trying to accomplish, and where its intentions don't quite match up with the narrative execution. The film is at its best when Ali is away from Katie, staying with the couple whose daughter he saved. Raad (Tarek Bichara) is hesitant to help at first, but his caring wife Lena (Krystina Alabado) reminds him that they owe Ali a debt. Ali is also aided by his friend Omar (Nasser Faris), an immigrant who dedicates his time to helping other undocumented refugees. Faris is a compelling screen presence, bringing the film to life whenever he's onscreen. When he shares the screen with Bakri, If You See Something becomes the thriller director Oday Rasheed clearly wants it to be. Their friendship feels more compelling than the central romance. Narrative issues aside, Bakri gives a measured, emotionally complex performance. As a Palestinian actor, his presence onscreen has an added layer of meaning. Whether someone is a refugee from Iraq or Palestine, these brave, resilient people shouldn't be antagonized by the American government for the difficult choices they made in order to survive. Both the immigration and asylum-seeking processes are needlessly long, expensive and designed to be difficult. The idea that a doctor can be arrested and deported for helping a little girl who is undocumented and in pain is outrage-inducing. Saving a life should never lead to punishment. Neither should making the brave decision to try to save a friend from politically-motivated kidnappers. If You See Something is a flawed film that nevertheless reminds us of the selective cruelty that leaves so many struggling to survive. Full credits Cast: Adam Bakri, Jess Jacobs, Tarek Bisharav, Lucy Owen, Hadi Tabbal, Krystina Alabado, Reggie Gowland, Hend Ayoub, Nasse