Old, borrowed and blue is something this latest romantic comedy is not. It is, however, Something New — and not just because that’s the title. What could have been a wholly unoriginal story of a woman torn between two men is instead a bold yet lighthearted film that takes on the daring (by Hollywood standards) subject of interracial dating.
Leading lady Kenya McQueen (Love and Basketball’s Sanaa Lathan) is a gorgeous but uptight accountant vying for partner at a major California firm. She is single and entirely self-sufficient, but always hoping she will find her “IBM” (ideal black man). When a coworker sets up Kenya’s first-ever blind date, she reluctantly arrives at Magic Johnson’s Starbucks (only in L.A., folks) to discover her date, Brian (Simon Baker), is white.
Kenya abruptly leaves, but is reintroduced to Brian at a party as her ideal fit — he’s a landscape architect and she has a backyard in dire need of gardening. After Brian, who’s as blond and friendly as his golden retriever Max, works a few days in her yard, Kenya lets Brian into her house and her heart. Hesitant throughout the relationship, Kenya spends her days worrying what her white coworkers think of her and nights worrying what the black community thinks of Brian. To further complicate things, she is introduced to a handsome black tax lawyer, Mark (Blair Underwood), everything her friends and family are pressuring her to want.
The chemistry between Kenya and Brian is believable and complicated. Both actors have yet to establish themselves as stars, but Something New is a step in the right direction. Lathan is convincingly rigid until her friends — and Brian’s presence — get her to “Let go, Let flow.” Baker, meanwhile, is likeable and relaxed onscreen from the start. The film’s vibrant supporting cast rounds the film up nicely, from Kenya’s sex-and-the-city-esque girlfriends to her high society family. Particularly fitting here is Donald Faison as her brother (playing the same fun role he always plays, from Clueless to Scrubs), and Alfre Woodard (Desperate Housewives) as her judgmental mother.
The potentially trite plotline moves smoothly and thoughtfully, largely thanks to a mixture of direct discussions and witty one-liners about the racial divide. Director Sanaa Hamri takes a risk on releasing Something New as her first film, but succeeds in putting a delicate issue on the big screen. Solid performances and a believable script allow the race factor to add to — but not distract from — the real story: the search for true love. Grade: B+