What a great effort by John Singleton! "Higher Learning", while not as good or focused as his earlier "Boyz N the Hood", certainly deserves a screening and is even more worthy of a subsequent debate, whether internal or not, as to how realistic and meaningful the story related is.
Synopsis (at least at first glance): Several students of varying background come to large, diverse university but find themselves more segmented than ever.
Outcome: Singleton does a good job of making the viewer understand the backstories of the characters he focuses on, especially Omar Epps and Michael Rapaport. Indeed, Epps' story is certainly the best and most worthwhile. However, Rapaport is convincing as an outsider in search of an identity--a role that many college students find themselves in, at least at the beginning of school. Fishburne is terrific (especially in light of his "Matrix" character, which is quite a departure--but not totally--from the stately professor he plays here.)
Since anything else I am going to say is going to be derivative of Roger Ebert's review, which really hit the mark, I can summarize quickly. This is a good movie, but it is in no way realistic. It exaggerates and highlights and twists some realities of the college experience. The movie asks you to "unlearn" at its finale; I ask you to decide why it comes to this conclusion.
Synopsis (at least at first glance): Several students of varying background come to large, diverse university but find themselves more segmented than ever.
Outcome: Singleton does a good job of making the viewer understand the backstories of the characters he focuses on, especially Omar Epps and Michael Rapaport. Indeed, Epps' story is certainly the best and most worthwhile. However, Rapaport is convincing as an outsider in search of an identity--a role that many college students find themselves in, at least at the beginning of school. Fishburne is terrific (especially in light of his "Matrix" character, which is quite a departure--but not totally--from the stately professor he plays here.)
Since anything else I am going to say is going to be derivative of Roger Ebert's review, which really hit the mark, I can summarize quickly. This is a good movie, but it is in no way realistic. It exaggerates and highlights and twists some realities of the college experience. The movie asks you to "unlearn" at its finale; I ask you to decide why it comes to this conclusion.