DWP is the feature directorial debut for Justin Simien, having previously raised most of the film's budget from the crowd-funding site Indiegogo. The film is a satirical story about a group of black students at a fictitious Ivy League school where tensions reach a boiling point when white students throw a black, "ghetto themed" party. To be blunt, I didn't like the movie. I went into it with a "sock it to me attitude." What I got was a watered down wannabe Spike Lee joint. It's clear that Simien is a Spike Lee fan right down to the directing style, but when it comes to the in-your-face attitude, it falls flat. The "show down" at the aforementioned party was a joke. Some bottles were broken, a few stereo speakers knocked over, and a face was punched; that was about it. The one star that shined from the movie was Tyler James Williams, formerly from Everybody Hates Chris, playing the socially awkward, gay character, Lionel Higgins. He just wants to be himself while cliques try to claim him as their own. Do yourself a favor and watch, "Do The Right Thing" instead.
Review of Dear White People
