For a 13-year-old African-American kid who loves hip-hop culture and secretly yearns to create gangsta rap, there’s only one place to be: the mean streets.
The mean streets of Heidelberg.
Heidelberg, as in Germany. Where the streets do not look mean, but like something out of a fairy tale.
The 13-year-old in question is Morris (Markees Christmas), unwillingly relocated to Heidelberg because his widowed dad (Craig Robinson) is coaching a German soccer team. Morris is finding it’s not easy to be an outsider — especially the only black kid in sight — even in this storybook setting.
“Morris from America” is an odd little character study. It veers from authentic observations about loneliness to crass sex jokes, sometimes in the same scene.
As Morris flounders in his new environment, he can be his own worst enemy. He spurns invitations to play basketball or participate in a talent show, maybe because he wants to define himself in his own way. Or maybe because he’s at an awkward moment.
He is bewitched by a 15-year-old German girl (Lina Keller), who invites him to parties meant for older kids. We can see early on that she may not be the best guide for Morris, but it’s not so obvious to him.
There’s a nice relationship between Morris and his German-language tutor (Carla Juri), a kooky type who is shocked when she discovers Morris’s ludicrously over-sexed rap lyrics in his notebook. (Director Chad Hartigan has said that this episode is based on something from his own youthful life.)
This leads to a confrontation between Morris and his dad, in which the father patiently points out how ridiculous it is for Morris to be writing about things he couldn’t possibly comprehend.
That scene is a reminder that “Morris” is at its best when the father-son dynamic is at the forefront. Craig Robinson, a comedy veteran from “The Office” and “Hot Tub Time Machine,” is perfectly at ease in a straight role, and his paternal manner is entirely believable.
Whenever Robinson isn’t on screen, the movie misses him. And “Morris” has enough uncomfortable moments to make you wonder how many are intentional. But it’s an honest — sometimes brutally honest — effort, and gets the most out of its offbeat location.
“Morris from America” (2½ stars)
A 13-year-old African-American kid (Markees Christmas) struggles with his relocation in Heidelberg, Germany, after his dad (Craig Robinson) lands a job there coaching soccer. An uneven film, veering from authentic observations to crass sex jokes, but the relationship between father and son is well acted.
Rating: R, for language, subject matter
Showing: Sundance Cinemas
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