Films I Saw This Week (13/07/2015)

Dear White People (2015)

My new pick for best film of 2015, Justin Simien’s satirical comedy drama Dear White People is a sharp, hilarious, and depressingly relevant look at modern racial identity. Focusing on the events leading up to a riot in a stuffy All-American college, Dear White People succeeds partly because of the on-point verbal takedowns and one-liners of Simien’s golden script (“You’re more Banksy than Barack”, “The minimum requirement of black friends needed to not seem racist has just been raised to two”), and partly because Simien avoids preaching or condescending. Stylistically, the film’s use of chapter titles and classical music are a joy, like Wes Anderson directing School Daze.

Occasionally, the film vilifies its white characters a little too much, and the middle section is a little dry and uneventful, but the terrific acting performances across the board (especially from identity-free outsider Tyler James Williams and furious crusader Tessa Thompson) keep the film engaging, building to an outstanding climax. This is the film Spike Lee has been trying to make since Do The Right Thing, done properly.

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