Something New

Despite the title, Sanaa Hamri's Something New is a shopworn romantic comedy in which a yuppie African-American woman falls for the hunky white guy she hires as a landscaper, much to the chagrin of her family and friends. Sanaa Lathan stars as an ambitious, uptight lawyer and Simon Baker is the handsome dude she pays to fix up her backyard. The by-the-numbers narrative is entirely predictable: The pair hook up, annoying the heroine's ladies' man brother and snobby mother (only her even-tempered dad seems unperturbed), as well as raising doubts in her girlfriends (the script is entirely one-sided, completely ignoring the reactions of his family and friends). Needless to say, relationship roadblocks are set up, and when the two eventually split, she links up with a “more suitable” black law professor. Of course, that's not the end of the story: here the closing reconciliation is played almost like a reverse Cinderella scene at a posh (and absurd) debutante ball—an especially dismal conclusion to a flimsy film in which the romantic chemistry is forced and the direction slack. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a brief introduction by costar Blair Underwood, an 11-minute “making-of” featurette, a five-minute “The Do's and Don'ts of Dating” featurette, and trailers. Bottom line: a so-so extras package for an uninspired romantic comedy.] (F. Swietek)