Morris from America

A24 | Release Date: August 19, 2016

6.8	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 31 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Watch Now

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

moviemitch96Sep 3, 2016

A very sweet, well-rounded, and well-intended coming-of-age comedy! Craig Robinson delivers some of his best work yet and Markees Christmas as the title character is perfectly humorous and charming as well with both of their combined talentsA very sweet, well-rounded, and well-intended coming-of-age comedy! Craig Robinson delivers some of his best work yet and Markees Christmas as the title character is perfectly humorous and charming as well with both of their combined talents making for irresistible onscreen chemistry! Overall, despite some cliche moments many of us have probably seen in other coming-of-age films, this one has enough unique moments, along with it's fun mix of comedy and hip-hop music and themes to make it stand out! I'd say it's definitely worth a view!… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

All this user's reviews

NightReviewsFeb 9, 2017

Funny enough, but ever since my success with my review of the highly stylized and powerful street-drama Kicks, it seems that I have become the unofficial urban/hip-hop critic of the city of Toronto. Which isn’t a bad thing, especially whenFunny enough, but ever since my success with my review of the highly stylized and powerful street-drama Kicks, it seems that I have become the unofficial urban/hip-hop critic of the city of Toronto. Which isn’t a bad thing, especially when you are reviewing some kick ass, cutting edge coming-of-age stories.

Coming-of-age stories are a dime-a-dozen in independent American cinema, let alone for films that have been accepted in the official line-up of the Sundance Film Festival. I mean, Sundance, almost being the unofficial “coming-of-age” film festival, is not only known for its dedication and glorification of youthful coming-of-age stories, but also discovering new, almost obscure talent, both behind the scenes, and in front of the camera. If you don’t believe me, think of Quvenzhané Wallis from Beasts of the Southern Wild, RJ Cyler in last year’s Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Gabourey Sidibe in Precious and director Damien Chazelle to name a few. Luckily for us, Chad Hartigan’s newest film, Morris From America is a very authentic tale of of an outsider of a very urban-contemporary America, growing up in the very proper and white-washed setting of Germany.

Morris From America begins with three of its most powerful characters; Markees Christmas playing the young Morris Gentry, Craig Robinson as his father, Curtis Gentry, and the powerful and overwhelming music of hip-hop. As Morris rocks his head to The Sun Rises in the East’s (considered one of the quintessential hip-hop albums of all-time) track Come Clean by Jeru The Damaja, Morris complains to his father that the beat is a little slow, it lacks a hook and the song, overall, is very boring. Outraged with his son’s taste in music, Curtis ground Morris for having poor taste in music. Our next shot of Mo in his room, is a tour poster of up and coming rapper from Los Angeles, Schoolboy Q, that hangs at the very centre of his room, showing Mo’s love and appreciate for new age hip-hop. At this exact moment, it becomes quite clear and evident that Mo’s analysis of his father’s song is very much an analogy of Hartigan’s newest film as well as a very clear clash of how the differences of opinions, experiences and tragedy affect two very formidable men following the tragedy of their lead female matriarch.

We never really find out what happens to Mo’s mom throughout the film. Essentially, the tragedy of her absence, although quite pivotal to our main protagonists, isn’t the driving point behind their actions. Sure, there’s a scene where Curtis calls a European phone sex line, one of the many scenes where he finds himself stuck in an empty and cold home, lusting for attention and meaning. Robinson’s longing for love is one of the many factors that make his role as Curtis one of the mot memorable of his career, especially set against that of Mo, whose friendship and crush for his only friend Katrin (Line Keller) is the driving force of Mo’s motivations. Katrin, who sets course a path for Mo that not only allows him to grow up quicker than most thirteen year-olds, but also allows him to experience the stark cultural differences of growing up in a predominantly white Germany, against a childhood and adolescence in urban America.

As the very simple narrative of Morris flows through each and every scene, it seems that writer/director Hartigan is interested in one thing, and one thing only, and that’s the authenticity of his star and his characters and most of all, their raw and highly relatable experiences. During the early drafts, Hartigan had a script in mind that included a white father and son, but it wasn’t until Robinson and Christmas involvement that the characters were changed to a African-American father/son duo, navigating life away from the United States with a very interesting and dynamic one/two punch. Never glorifying or emotionally manipulating the trauma of Curtis’ and Mo’s loss; never romanticizing Katrin and Mo, and never polishing Mo and Curtis’ bonds, Morris From America is your average joe character film tightened by simple and real people narrative choices.

Making his transition in Germany as painless and smooth as possible for his son and himself, Curtis enlists the help of a German student/tutor Inka (Carla Juri). Inka and Mo share some tender scenes of truth and heartache, sometimes simplifying one another’s life through the simple stories surrounded by their love lives. Mo, who has taken a liking to Katrin, discovers aspects of himself he never knew he was capable of; while Inka makes some serious life choices, thanks to the stark truth and frankness of Mo’s young adolescent, real world perspectives, sometimes blending in aspects of an episode of “Kids Say the Darnest Things” for good measure.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

All this user's reviews

MelancholicAlcDec 1, 2016

The one thing that stuck by me after watching was: Everyone in this flick does totally relatable, understandable thing, no-one does stupid crap. That Morris is somewhat hostile towards the somewhat stereotyping Germans? I get that.
That theThe one thing that stuck by me after watching was: Everyone in this flick does totally relatable, understandable thing, no-one does stupid crap. That Morris is somewhat hostile towards the somewhat stereotyping Germans? I get that.
That the Germans stereotype with "Kobe Bryant" etcc? I get that, they were clumsily trying to make a connection.
That the teacher tattles on Morris? Any responsible adult would.
That the father gets angry at the teach for sticking her nose in? I so get that.
While with a movie made by whites about blacks, there's a built-in danger of too much positive stereotyping, as well as too much negative stereotyping, this movie doesn't do that, or when it does do it a bit (White girl asks black boy if he's got a large penis ??) it's so innocent, I'll forgive that. Some black people wouldn't, but I will.

What's nice about this one, is that it portrays blacks from the non-struggling middle middle class. Usually in Western made cinema, it's very poor, criminal blacks or very rich ones (Power, plus that Taraji P. Henson vehicle)

But this one does not. Perhaps it takes a European indie production to give that viewpoint. Hollywood is surely to segregated to do it, that's for sure.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

All this user's reviews

AquaMorphNov 11, 2016

This was a mixed film. It was full of some film tropes that I am not a big fan of but also had some fantastic scenes. Setting it in Germany was enough of a gimmick to prevent it from being stale.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

All this user's reviews

Moo-viesDec 10, 2016

I can't say this movie hit the spot 100% of the time in its depiction of a 13 years old black kid in Germany with its father.

But it hit the right places well above 90%. The ending is a bit abrupt. The actors are spot on in a simpleI can't say this movie hit the spot 100% of the time in its depiction of a 13 years old black kid in Germany with its father.

But it hit the right places well above 90%.
The ending is a bit abrupt.

The actors are spot on in a simple depiction of life.
I especially enjoyed Craig Robinson's role as a father.

In the end I did not know quite what to expect when I began this story, but got hooked up with the genuine life tenderly and honestly depicted by its protagonists.

Give it a try, gently.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews