Review: Dear White People

Released: 10^th July (UK cinemas)

Certificate: 15

Director: Justin Simien

Screenwriter: Justin Simien

Cast: Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Brandon P Bell, Teyonah Parris, Kyle Gallner, Marque Richardson

The grand tradition of American films focusing on the college experience has always been rather cagey around the subject of race. Justin Simien’s feature debut not only brings characters of colour to the forefront of a college narrative, but deftly and wryly illustrates the frequently absurd trials and tribulations of being ‘a black face in a white place.’ Set in the fictional Winchester College, the story follows a group of black students during a turbulent autumn term following the unexpected election of media student- and outspoken activist- Sam White (Tessa Thompson) to student head of Armstrong Parker house.

Sam’s election unseats Troy Fairbanks (Brandon P Bell), the popular and high-achieving son of Dean Fairbanks (Dennis Haysbert), who is attempting to reconcile his ambitions as a comedic writer with his father’s plan for him to go to law school. This causes a rift between the politically active residents of Armstrong Parker and those, such as Troy and aspiring YouTube celebrity Coco (Teyonah Parris), who believe that Sam and her satirical radio show ‘Dear White People’ are doing more harm than good. The vibrant tangle of subplots features a decades old rivalry between the Dean and President Hutchinson (Peter Syversten), a prowling reality TV show producer looking to make a fast buck from the trouble he suspects is brewing on campus, and shy kid Lionel’s (Tyler James Williams) quest for belonging.

Simien’s ability to juggle multiple themes and fully flesh out secondary characters is one of Dear White People’s greatest strengths. Even as it chews on its principal theme- that America’s collegiate system is far from ‘post racial’- the political issues are complemented by ones which are completely universal: pushy parents, ill-fated romance, identity crises and bullying. Through presenting a set of characters who each have at least some facet with which anyone could identify, the way that race complicates the search for identity that most people must contend with in their late teens and early twenties is made abundantly clear. Another important element is the diversity of opinion among the black students themselves. Sam’s abrasive and hard-line approach alienates Coco and frustrates Dean Fairbanks, even as it gradually helps Lionel endure (and eventually rebel against) the bullying of his obnoxious and homophobic white housemates.

The directorial choices, too, are rich and interesting. The use of title cards to frame each ‘chapter’ perfectly complements the occasional tableaux vignettes which lampoon (for example) the token inclusion of a person of colour in every Ivy League prospectus photograph. The editing conspires to have characters delivering lines of dialogue while facing the camera. Primarily, this renders the screen mirror-like (and indeed, in several scenes the screen becomes the mirror the characters are facing into as they get ready), further inviting the audience to identify with the characters in question. However, it is perhaps both an invitation and a challenge- as the cast debate racial politics, the same questions and challenges to mainstream thinking are thrown out to the viewer.

If all this sounds a little exhausting, fear not- the satire, while pointed, is also very funny, and the sharp dialogue and high-energy performances keep the plot ticking along. If the pace slips a little in the second act while foundations are being laid, this is more than made up for by the cogent and punchy denouement, which hammers home the film’s central theses and neatly resolves the dramatic tension built up in the first two thirds. Although some may find its forthright approach strays a little too close to the polemic, for my money this is a film long overdue. Frank, funny and unflinching in its satire, Dear White People is both important and immensely enjoyable.

Verdict: 4/5

Image credit: dearwhitepeoplemovie.com