Leroy

I ask myself: How can anybody find this movie amusing and laugh freely about its (at best) mediocre humour, while the reality in Germany in some places isn't funny at all for people with darker skin? The one word that came to my mind is: apologetic. Is this movie trying to find a somewhat fresh plot? Maybe.... although in a very raw manner. People definitely can find some of the scenes funny, but still one can not simply find comfort in the fact that a very serious matter is treated with such painfully rough comedy style..... education, prejudice, coming-of-age as a black male in a white-dominated society - and then this Nazi-family-meets-black-guy-everything-is-possible feel-good comedy???

So why apologetic? There was a warning during the World Cup in Germany saying that some of the Eastern parts of the country weren't safe for black persons... which was heavily discussed and objected against by the government. So in that respect: What is the message of this movie? That the reality isn't that bad at all? That the illusion of a black guy going out with a Nazi families' daughter could possibly happen? I know that comedy needs ridiculous and grotesque plots.... but this is just going too far. Can Nazis, who in fact hurt, harass and even murder people like Leroy in real life, be shown as such somewhat clumsily funny types? No. Period. Any guy like this Leroy running into a bunch of those would simply try to get out of there as fast as possible. Guess why?

The movie starts immediately as a comedy, so you have to take the weight of the social topics discussed - afro-German integration, the Germany nowadays relationship with its past etc - only as a contour, but serious enough to make this movie a very good drama. There are some falls, as the whole "Blacula topic", but it entertains without holes in the plot, and the final result that you have about German society is good because you see Germans are able to be ironic about their past and they are better than people usually think, about racial integration. In Berlin at least. The last part - the solving one - is a little pour, the perception is that the idea to make a rap band with Eva's brothers is hasty and not enough introduced during the movie. Last consideration: Alex Morel is very good in acting performances, leaving aside his gorgeous face, without whom I don't think the drama effect would have been so effective. Good choice for the casting.