Dear White People

Studio: Roadside Attractions
Directed by Justin Simien

Oct 17, 2014 By Stephen Danay Web Exclusive

Anyone who buys into the “post-racial America” of the Obama age would do well to visit Winchester University, where relations between black and white students are rapidly approaching a head. At this prestigious university, the lives of four black students - a politically charged radio show host, the popular son of the dean, a fame-seeking video blogger and a introverted gay journalist - collide on the night of a potentially (read: very) racist Halloween party.

If all that sounds frighteningly overwrought or dramatic, fear not: Dear White People is very much a comedy, its tongue planted firmly in cheek. The debut feature of writer/director Justin Simien, the film is a high-wire act that balances racial satire, teen drama and social justice crusading. As a debut, it bears the scatter-shot excitement often found in a first time effort. Utilizing everything from carefully symmetrized compositions, comedic editing, stylized inter-titles and chyrons and on-screen pop-up text and phone notifications, Simien evokes both Wes Anderson and Edgar Wright, which isn’t a bad start.

Simien’s sharp direction goes a long way toward alleviating the problems with his script. The film tackles complex issues in a fairly blunt manner, leavened by comedy along the way. What occasionally grinds the film to a halt are the more dramatic scenes, especially the ones built around the various interconnecting romances. Every character has at least one love interest, and several of them feel less like narrative necessities and more like obligations toward typical college drama. The cast ranges from serviceable to captivating, with Tessa Thompson and Tyler James Williams exemplifying the latter. As Samantha, the take-no-prisoners activist and host of the biting titular radio show, Thompson brings depth, humor and grace to a character powering through an identity crisis and leaving chaos in her wake. As Lionel, the nerdy, gay writer stranded at the edges of the conflict, Williams wrings humor from the smallest facial expressions, buried beneath thick glasses and a comically large afro. Other standouts include Teyonah Parris as a vain, insecure video blogger who just wants to be liked and Kyle Gallner as the epitome of banal evil: the entitled, preppy, white asshole who just wants to have a good time.

However successful Dear White People may be at capturing hearts and minds when it comes to social and political issues, it has the early indicators of being a small-scale cult classic and makes for interesting counter-programming against the typical teenage fare that makes it into theaters.

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