A refreshing take on teenage angst
Putting a fresh slant on adolescent growing pains without quite breaking new ground, “Morris From America” revolves around a black teen transplanted to Germany by his widowed dad. The comic drama is warmhearted but never cloying. Craig Robinson (“The Office”) and newcomer Markees Christmas bring an engaging honesty to characters navigating new emotional territory.
In Heidelberg, Curtis is a soccer coach, while 13-yearold Morris is a novelty among classmates. Writerdirector Chad Hartigan mines the cultural disconnect only so far, more concerned with unvarnished slice-of-life observation.
In another movie, the phrase “talent show” would herald a climactic crowdpleaser, but Hartigan has less predictable adventures in store for Morris, a bedroom-mirror rapper whose sex-themed rhymes belie his inexperience. Katrin (Lina Keller), the girl he falls for, seems the embodiment of mean-girl flirtation, but there’s something genuine behind her goading.
The film, unfortunately, hasn’t the intensity or restraint of Hartigan’s“This Is Martin Bonner.” But it does have Christmas’ unforced performance and the ache in Robinson’s voice, at once gruff and pleading. Curtis understands his son’s need to test boundaries as much as his own responsibility to protect him. Robinson makes this single dad’s loneliness plain. Morris isn’t the only one on the cusp.
“Morris From America.“Rating: R, for teen drug use and partying, sexual material, brief nudity, and language throughout. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes. Playing: ArcLight Hollywood.