This French comedy directed by Jean-Pascal Zadi and John Wax caused a lot of talk when it was released in 2020.
If you went for a walk in cinemas in 2020 – between two confinements – then you surely did not miss Tout Simplement Noir, a comedy in the form of a mockumentary directed by Jean-Pascal Zadi and John Wax. The duo found their inspiration on the side of hip-hop by making a direct reference to the name of this group of the 80s.
In this 1h30 film which is really not intended as a pamphlet against racism, Zadi slips into the skin of JP, a failed 40-year-old actor, who decides to organize the first big black protest march in France. But his encounters, often burlesque, with influential figures in the community and the interested support he receives from Fary, make him oscillate between a desire to be on the front of the stage and a real militant commitment…
If the two directors did not convince the spectators with Tout Simplement noir, as evidenced by its AlloCiné rating, the film is to be seen for a good reason: its impressive list of guests (guests) who appear there. And they come from all walks of life: sports (Lilian Thuram), music (Soprano), TV (Cyril Hanouna), stand-up (Eric and Ramzy…)…
Zadi and Wax use the multitude of these points of view to define what being black today in France and what that implies. All with a provocative tone and an insolence that is unique to the actor. No wonder the latter won the César for best young male hope the following year. And he’s the first to say it: “With this film, I went from lousy to I can go anywhere”.
Simply Black, available today on Netflix.