Kelly Fyffe-Marshall’s When Morning Comes is a true standout in the overcrowded coming-of-age sub-genre.  It’s also a landmark in slice-of-life filmmaking.

With a cast of genuine actors and a loose narrative, Fyffe-Marshall aims her nurturing lens on a young immigrant’s story;  as young Jamal Sutherland Jr. (Djamari Roberts) prepares to move from Jamaica to permanently live with his grandmother in Toronto.  The news comes as a surprise from his single mother Neesha (Shaquana Wilson) after Jamal is given yet another suspension from school.  Jamal is crushed and confused.  Did he push his mother too far?  Has he become a problem?

The majority of When Morning Comes follows Jamal’s final days in Jamaica.  Understandably, he’s very emotional at first and gravitates towards familiar people and places.  The conversations Jamal has with townspeople and classmates range from empathetic to playful jealousy as others try to comfort Jamal but encourage him all the same.  These relationships are fleeting for movie goers, but the way these sincere performances work with Fyffe-Marshall’s disciplined direction floods the audience with a perfect amount of history and chemistry between the characters.

The camerawork floats around Jamal, although it’s unclear if the intention of the film is to offer a literal point-of-view (ala Where the Wild Things Are, Beasts of the Southern Wild, or Scarborough). Despite this vagueness, the cinematography does offer another personal layer to the movie’s interpretation of Jamal’s life as the audience is given permission to push forward into intimate, sometimes traumatic, moments.  It’s unfortunate that some musical stings, obvious ADR, and jarring edits interrupt this concentrated flow.

When Morning Comes, sores and all, is a very special movie;  offering an unforgettably youthful perspective of streamlined maturity in desperate times.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie