Morris Gentry (Markees Christmas), a black Richmond teen raised on hip-hop who has recently moved to Germany, tells his new white friend, Katrin (Lina Keller), “I got sick flow. Freestyle shit. Know what I’m saying?”
“I have no idea,” comes the reply. This is essentially the central predicament in Morris From America, the latest feature from Chad Hartigan (I Am Martin Bonner), a slight but likable coming of age story seen through the prism of race.
Morris’s father, Curtis (Craig Robinson), has moved the two of them to central Europe for a job coaching the local soccer team, leaving them as “the only two brothers in Heidelberg”. On top of the usual teen angst and experimentation, Morris is dealing with the alienation of being completely new and obviously different from everyone around him. Most of the kids at the youth center his German tutor forces him to attend go out of their way to be mean to him. The pretty and older Katrin is the only one who tries to connect with him, but even her affections run hot and cold.
Morris deals with all sorts of racism, from the outwardly aggressive youth leader who accuses him of being a pot smoker to the passively ignorant Katrin who wonders why he doesn’t dance, play basketball, or have, well, a certain endowment. These are by far the most interesting elements of the story, adding another layer of alienation to his situation as a fish out of water, but also touching on a more universal experience. Germany is a place where not only is his race more evident, but so are the motivations for how he’s treated by society.
Otherwise, this is a typical, modern coming of age story, though one that doesn’t include texting, internet use, social media, and the like. (Have you ever known a teenager to send a handwritten letter? This movie asks you to.) Morris makes a friend, makes some stupid choices, goes to some parties, tries some drugs, gets in trouble, and even gets up on stage to show off some of his “sick flow”, and by the end he learns all sorts of lessons about life. There are some excellent performances, especially from Christmas, who shows remarkable range in his film debut. Robinson is the most winning presence in the movie, a welcome departure from his abominable NBC sitcom released this summer.
Ultimately, it’s a sweet movie with some good laughs and a phenomenal rap soundtrack, but it fails to rise above the pack. Just as Morris struggles writing his rap lyrics, so does Morris From America. It knows what it is; it just isn’t quite sure what it wants to say.
