Justin Simien is a very smart man. He's also a very clever man, which makes Dear White People one of the sharpest, savvy and gut-bustingly hilarious films of the year that didn't make it to multiplexes. That'll partly be down to the unconventional way the film was made (having directed a few short films and a trailer, Dear White People was mainly crowdfunded), and the topics it deals with. Principally, the still-shaky relationship between white and black culture, which is viewed in microcosm during the film's plot (which is itself more of a vessel for satirical jabs and conversation starters). The central theme is explored through a riot breaking out over a popular "African American"-themed party thrown by white students at a fictional Ivy League college. Which, you know, obviously isn't okay, but is exactly the sort of thing that happens in real life. Simiem has been compared to a young Spike Lee, but that's not particularly accurate. The writer/director has a similar eye for culture difference and injustices, but has a way better sense of humour, and a strong ensemble with Tessa Thompson towering over the rest as the student activist poking holes in the idea of a post-racial America. Also: jokes!
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
