The acting was well done, as was the location, the lighting, the camera work, etc. etc. Even the dialogue worked very well. The subject matter, however, and its treatment made the movie a well-done waste of time.
What matters in today's economy is getting and keeping decent jobs. What the movie shows, however, is overly-privileged students who are more concerned with manufacturing racial hatred than with studying courses and gaining skills that employers want. It is as if Simien, the writer and director, has no experience with life outside his liberal-elite world. Black American culture is one of many shared experiences in America, and there is nothing particularly special or praise-worthy about it, but Simien seems unable to put his racial blinders aside. For goodness sake, we have Jews, Asians (many kinds!), whites, Latinos, Eastern Europeans, etc. -- we're all in it together. This white/black divide was already old a generation ago. If Simien wants to be relevant as a film-maker who appeals beyond his inbred elitist audience, he needs to open the curtains and let in some light.
