Cute cute film. Glad I had a chance to see it. I have a soft spot for romantic comedies, but this one struck me as different. First of all, there's an undeniable intelligence in the writing. That's not something you would expect from a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy. It's a Jewish and Muslim romance, but thankfully that isn't used as a gimmick for cheap jokes. I could tell the writer really thought out the possibilities of bringing the two cultures together, and it's really well done. The film isn't afraid to delve into politics, but it doesn't allow itself to get mired in it, because there was always a witty line or clever scene reliably around the corner. Performances strong too. I hope I see more of Shiva Rose (she plays Layla) in the future. I highly recommend this.

To put in bluntly, David & LAYLA is an indie movie lover's wet dream, a thinking man's romantic comedy that truly deserves to be seen by as many eyes as possible. Writer-Producer-Director Jay Jonroy, a name that is sure to blip on the everyone's radar with his distinctive vision and voice, makes an impressive feature film debut. D&L has a lot going for it: acid-tongued wit, richly drawn characters, and razor sharp observations of cultural differences. Let's face it: a Jewish-Muslim romance in lesser hands runs the risk of being a cringe-inducing MY BIG FAT Greek WEDDING ripoff with cultural-clash ethnic punchlines sophisticated viewers can telegraph from light years away. But Jonroy clearly adores the titular leads (David Moscow and Shiva Rose, who really click together) and the world they inhabit (a beautifully shot New York City), and has lovingly crafted a palatable and believable love story that doesn't insult its audience. See it!

Just by reading some reviews and descriptions, I knew I was going to walk into a movie filled with stereotypes and some political messages. What I didn't expect is that I would be crept out by the lack of true romance and love. I honestly got the impression that David purely wanted sex and Layla purely wanted the green card and they met somewhere in the middle. Sure, love can develop and it may have in their real-life story but you wouldn't really get that from the movie. Just when you think the characters will surprise you with a valiantly romantic gesture, they let you down with the sort of banal behavior one might find in the real world. Basically, I was pulled from all directions ... ethnic stereotypes, deadly politics, and ethically weak characters. I would expect a message of love would come through to rescue the viewer from all the other depressing stuff but there was barely a hint of it.I couldn't help but think that David didn't deserve her at all and that sort of ruined some of the grander points that were pain-stakingly being made. I'm sorry but that's how the movie made me feel.

David and Layla is a romantic comedy, a light-hearted and optimistic take on the star-crossed lover theme that so often ends in tragedy. David, a Jewish-American man, falls in love with Layla, a Kurdish immigrant who hopes to stay in America (after the death of her family at the hands of Saddam Hussein). When their families find out, hijinks ensue.I imagine some people will find the movie un-funny, if not offensive, because the couples work out or gloss over their differences in order to get married. In the "working out" process, there is enough to make people on all "sides" of the issues represented feel slighted. In America, especially, people tend to gravitate to the extremes when it comes to their understanding of middle east conflicts: either we know (close to) nothing about it, or we feel that such serious matters should never be joked about because they're too dire.Jonroy chooses a middle way. His movie repeatedly acknowledges the centuries of conflict between Jews and Arabs and between Jews and Muslims, and it even pauses to provide some straight-up education about the oppression of the Kurds in Turkey and Iraq, especially. That's somewhat bold for a romantic comedy, but he walks the fine line well. Jonroy's comedy doesn't depend on ignoring, belittling, or (God forbid) posing simplistic solutions for these problems. Rather, the local, romantic celebrations in this movie are joyous in spite of the hideous and exhausting violence that forms a sort of context for them. One character sums up the movie's "philosophy" when she says something like, "tolerate the differences, and enjoy life" (I'm paraphrasing—don't remember the exact wording). Toleration, in this case, doesn't mean pretending they're not there; it means seeing them, fighting about them, crying and yelling about them, and dancing at a wedding anyway. To me, that's what comedy is about.I was reminded of Sullivan's Travels while watching this movie (and while listening to the director talk about it afterward). In Sullivan's Travels, a comedic filmmaker decides to make a serious film about the "plight of the poor" in America. After striving to understand the experience of poverty in America, he decides to make a comedy instead, realizing that his gifts would be better used in providing laughter in an unfunny world than trying to "make a statement" that would only tell the poor what they already knew while telling the rich nothing they cared to understand.David and Layla fits into that tradition—it's a comedy that says, "the world is hard, and its problems can't be solved by a movie, but let me remind you that there is still love, there is still joy, and there is still dancing." When it comes right down to it, the movie is much more about love, sex, celebrating, and family than it is about "politics." P.S. Many of the comments on IMDb refer to a sort of "beta" version of the movie that made the festival circuit last year (2006). This (summer 2007) version is complete, so it's production values are generally better, and the music for the score is finished.