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Blind Date Leads to Black-White Love in Cross-Cultural
Comedy
Kenya (Sanaa Lathan) is an ambitious overachiever with a great job at
a top accounting firm. Her girlfriends, a judge, a pediatrician and a
banker, are just as successful. And now that she’s just bought her
own home in an exclusive section of Los Angeles, the only thing Kenya’s
missing is a man to share her practically-perfect picture life with. But
because she’s African-American, she is well aware of the statistic
which indicates that 42% of black females are fated never to marry. So,
she finds herself on weekends sitting around commiserating with similarly-situated
sisters about their dire prospects for a satisfying social life. This
is the point of departure of Something New, a delightful romantic romp
which suggests that Kenya’s problem is that she’s limited
her options by
waiting for an IBM, meaning an Ideal Black Man, instead of considering
dating a dude of a different color. Fortunately, she does manage to meet
Mr. Wonderful in spite of herself, after agreeing to a blind date.
As soon as she meets Brian (Simon Baker) the sparks start to fly. Yet,
she loses her composure, solely because he’s white. So, the picture
establishes a palpable tension between the lovebirds as the relationship
deepens, and as loved ones learn of their liaison.
But the cozy couple gradually forgets about superficialities as they deal
with more meaningful differences. Mixing mirth with more sophisticated
moments, Something New ultimately triumphs primarily because of the easy-going
screen chemistry generated by Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker.
For they are quite convincing in conveying the idea that this workaholic
ice princess’s reservations and skepticism would prove to be no
match for the earnestness of a handsome, laid-back landscaper with enough
passion, persistence and patience to melt her heart and to turn all their
friends and family completely colorblind.
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