'Morris From America' A Review

Morris From America is a coming-of-age comedy about Morris(Markees Christmas) and his dad Curtis(Craig Robinson) who have moved to Germany, in the wake of the death of Morris's mother, for Curtis's work. Morris struggles with the rejection of his peer group and their subsequent bullying, the isolation and grief both him and his father feel, and develops a crush on the one classmate Katrin(Lina Keller) who becomes his friend.

Robinson give one of the best, most dynamic performances of his career. Conveying a emotional authenticity while not sacrificing any of his innate humorous charm. Almost all the best moments of the film are with Robinson and Christmas or with Robinson alone. The chemistry the two have together evoke a real father and son dealing with those difficult and wide-reaching issues that are always relevant because they are faced by all fathers and sons. Christmas holds the weight of the story on his shoulders and holds up well but many of the situations outside of his interactions with Robinson are constrained by their predictability. Keller and Carla Juni as Inka Morris's German teacher both put in good turns but they also are restricted by the some of the coming-of-age tropes.

The international setting provides a welcome freshness as does the use of hip hop as both a way to distinguish Morris and Curtis's foreignness as well as a mechanism for Morris to evolve and relate. The film falls short in some of the "bigger moments" which perhaps reflect reality but feel cliche.

An incredible performance from Craig Robinson elevates a somewhat stock story.

See It.