Morris From America appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. No real issues marred the visuals.
Sharpness looked very good. Only mild softness materialized, which meant a tight, well-defined image. I witnessed no shimmering or jaggies, and edge haloes remained absent. As expected, the film lacked any print flaws.
In terms of palette, America went with a pretty standard mix of orange and teal. The film didn’t overwhelm us with those choices and made them low-key, but the image did favor them in its gentle manner. Within the stylistic decisions, the hues seemed fine. Blacks were deep and tight, and shadows looked smooth and clear. This turned into an appealing image.
As for the film’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, it became more engaging than expected, as the various channels offered reasonably lively material. This becomes most obvious in social settings, as scenes in bars or playgrounds or soccer fields created a fine sense of the environments. Music also boasted fine utilization of the different channels and helped make this soundscape more involving than I expected.
Audio quality appeared good. Speech seemed distinctive and concise, without roughness or brittleness. Music was warm and full, and effects came across as accurate. Effects showed good delineation and accuracy. The soundtrack worked nicely for the material.
Among the disc’s extras, we find an audio commentary with writer/director Chad Hartigan and actors Craig Robinson and Markees Christmas. All three sit together for this running, screen-specific look at the project’s origins and development, story/domains and autobiographical elements, cast and performances, sets and locations, music, and related issues.
This commentary seems wholly mediocre. While it gives us a decent overview of various movie topics, it lacks much real insight. That leaves it as a decent track but not one that ever threatens to become especially enlightening.
Next comes the 11-minute, 22-second Making Morris From America. It offers info from Hartigan, Robinson and Christmas. The show looks at story/characters, cast and performances and shooting in Germany. As an overview, “Making” works okay, but it feels redundant after the commentary.
Bloopers fills two minutes, 35 seconds with some of the usual goofs and silliness. It seems pretty blah to me.
One Deleted Scene lasts one minute, 18 seconds. It shows more of the Morris/Katrin relationship. It makes their connection more blatantly physical and doesn’t fit the film.
A collection of Casting Tapes fills four minutes, 28 seconds. It presents try-outs for Christmas and Lina Keller. These are fun to see.
The disc opens with ads for Swiss Army Man, The Lobster, Into the Forest, Equals and The Adderall Diaries. No trailer for America appears here.
As a “coming of age” story, Morris From America occasionally satisfies. However, it loses steam as it goes. The Blu-ray brings us mostly solid picture and audio as well as a few bonus materials. America provides an erratic but often enjoyable tale.