Not a ton to say about this one. It was a lovely, warm little comedy about the struggle for and of identity, with just the right amount of edge. I saw it a couple weeks ago, and what continually pops into my head is not so much the satire -- though that's well-managed, too -- but the fleeting moments of openness and sympathy between characters that are generally forced to maintain a guarded, unassailable, socially/politically advantageous identity.

The majority of the film's sharper edges are pointed very specifically at the intersection of class and race in the context of an expensive, big-name educational institution. So it's often about a very specific set of people with very specific problems, the sort that non-Ivy League types like myself may not be too concerned with. But the satire is consistently witty and entertaining, and the larger question of identity is accessible to all.

The film also looks very good, and just as importantly, has a distinct sense of style. Not all of the actors are totally prepared to walk the farcical line, and some of them sometimes end up looking over- or under-serious, but all in all, it's appropriately bittersweet and just plain sweet in equal measures, and the whole thing just leaves you in a good mood.

Especially when that Mibbs track drops on the final frames.

The script is available here http://www.simplyscripts.com/oscar87.html

-Don

Show's out on Netflix, based on this little flick. All of the same strengths and weaknesses, though the show plays a little broader and that's not for the better. Some of the pop culture talk is pulled off well, some not so much. Jokes don't land as consistently as they did in the movie, because the tone's a little less clear.

The distinct visual style of the movie is in the show, too, for better and worse. As with the film, the careful wide frames often leave dialogue sequences feeling slower and more stilted than they should, and the cuts sometimes feel conspicuous. Those frames do look great, though.

Like the film, a warm, pleasant look, and generally a warm, pleasant feel. Some sexiness, too, which never hurts.

I recall seeing the trailer a while back. Referencing the title, I figured it to be an attempt at pure agitation. Is it?

A couple of the central characters are political agitators, but the show itself seems pretty benign to me. Spike Lee it ain't.

Though plenty of IMDb reviewers disagree with me on that. The reviews are a pretty hilarious read -- half one-star reviews complaining about "reverse racism," half ten-star reviews complaining about "closed-minded people" and white privilege.

My personal favourite:

Quoted Text It's uncomfortably genius. It took me almost 2 hours to completely watch the first episode because I had to pause it every 5 minutes to have a conversation.

What a tool.