Film fails to give us 'Something new'

Finally, a film that tackles the harsh realities of inter-racial love, without all of that pesky insightful social commentary and well written dialogue that really muddied the waters in films like Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever." By forgoing things like social satire and focusing more on things like close-ups of sexy man arms, the makers of "Something New" were able to teach as well as entertain. What is the lesson you ask? Never ask a woman about her weave.\n"Something New" is the story of a black woman, Kenya (Sanaa Lathan), whose uptight demeanor and generally cold disposition towards anything that may upset her carefully constructed life has led to her failure in the dating world. She decides to follow the advice of her girlfriends and "let go and let flow," meaning she will be more open to different kinds of men. Eventually this leads to a blind date with a white guy named Brian (Simon Baker) who she initially rejects because of his race. \nBut when she ends up hiring him as her landscape architect their love blossoms, similarly to the flowers which he plants for her in the garden. This leads to a predictable crescendo as the garden is finally revealed and the two lovers fully accept each other for who they are. The rest of the movie is the part where racial barriers try to destroy the love that the two of them share, but in the end, love conquers all and we are left with the sugary aftertaste of another romantic comedy.\nUndoubtedly, whoever gave this film its moniker was not without a sense of irony, because "Something New" is more or less an hour and a half of poorly executed film clichés. I don't know which were more irksome, the romantic clichés like the wild untamed spirit of one lover bringing out the wild side of the over the top conservative lover, or the racial clichés like the racially biased family who finally comes around in the face of true love. \nNo, actually, I do know which was more irksome, it was the romantic clichés. This movie is labeled a romantic comedy, maybe that is because all of the romantic scenes in this movie are laughable. My personal favorite was when the two flirty, but still unconfirmed lovers, get caught out in the rain which leads to a sexy moist first kiss. Why do couples in romantic movies consistently have to get caught out in the rain in order to realize their love? Apparently something about getting really wet melts even the coldest of hearts. Perhaps the next time a girl isn't interested in me I should spray her with a hose and then kiss her. If Hollywood has taught me anything it is that wet chicks put out. \nAll in all, "Something New" is about par for the course, the predictable romantic comedy course that is. It is completely unoriginal, but it does live up to what it promises.