The Imperialists Are Still Alive!

A look at post 9/11 Manhattan as seen through the eyes of a young Muslim artist.

A wonderfully eccentric throwback to ’80s American indies, this deadpan screwballer is nevertheless futuristic in its vision of Manhattan as an underpopulated burg where masters of the universe are nowhere to be found. Asya (Elodie Bouchez) is a well-off artist who falls for a sexy med student named Javier (Jose Maria de Tavira) while fretting about her childhood sweetie Faisal, a suspected terrorist. Will our glam heroine hook up with Javier long-term? The only thing predictable about director Zeina Durra’s farcical fantasy is its unpredictability. (90 min.) Rob Nelson. 3 1/2 out of 4 stars