Satire has always been a vital weapon in bringing the plights of the oppressed to the views of the masses and in 2014 writer/director Justin Simien brought his satirical college film “Dear White People” to the masses with impressive results.
The film follows the lives of four black students at an ivy league school, all experiencing racial tensions on campus in different ways. Simien’s smart script manages to balance the moments of humor and character development perfectly. This is a satire, yes, but it’s also a character study of various film archetypes, not just of the real life college experience.
Tessa Thompson carries the film as the fierce radio host Samantha, and props go to the entire cast for bringing weight to their characters through small nuances and character-specific details. A supporting cast of heavyweights like Dennis Haysbert and Malcolm Barrett help to round out the proceedings with straight-faced performances in increasingly hostile situations.
Tyler James Williams is given the best arc, Tessa Thompson has the most emotion in hers and Brandon P. Bell is given the most clichéd but enjoyable character. If there is a weak spot in the story, it would be Teyonah Parris’s as Coco. Her performance is great, but her material often feels like an afterthought, and its conclusion in the third act doesn’t feel as cohesive as the others.
Thus is the case with ensemble films, at least one cast member will fall to the wayside, but “Dear White People” manages to avoid the other big ensemble film cliché with rock solid pacing. By interweaving each character’s moments with the other and filtering in some brilliant joke set pieces, the film keeps a light and fun attitude throughout the proceedings.
However, it becomes its most satisfying as things slowly start to ramp towards the extreme. The last thirty minutes almost become a bizarre kind of whodunit scenario. The movie also clearly poses some difficult questions, and none have obvious answers. It’s a testament to Justin’s smart writing that none of the questions are easy or obvious, though all are a joy to watch play out on screen.
Wrapping itself up in the perfectly neat little package, “Dear White People” feels like a deliciously devious satire. Its acid wit and amusing set pieces are backed by strong characters and performances, even though not everyone gets equal attention in the plot.
Justin Simien’s passion project should not be missed by any fan of satire, humor or well-developed characters. It refuses to pull its punches, resulting in an extremely insightful and funny film that can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone. 4.5/5
