Something New (2006)

As an African American male who has seen the growing divide amongst African American men and women, I was a bit hesitant to watch this film. However, I have to say that I enjoyed the majority of the content and can relate to certain aspects.Surprisingly I found myself relating to the female protagonist due to my experiences in corporate America and surprisingly to none other than the White male love interest.There was some questionable content. Several scenes bothered me. The Starbucks scene projected a negative image of middle class Black culture. Watch it again. It just speaks buffoonery and dysfunction.The delivery and presentation of Black men was performed with bad taste. Mike Epps character and Kenya's brother, although employed appeared to be immature and inarticulate fools.Although Kenya's brother was a lawyer, he could not stop lying and keep a single female. In addition, he had a car, although a gift was a present from his parents. Epps seduced Kenya's friend with tired recited lines.Blair Underwood's character, was the ideal Black man, who could not deliver the one thing that was missing from Kenya's life… direction and purpose.I have a question. Why couldn't the White character in this film have been a Black man instead? In fact, I felt like this character. As an individual who left corporate America and started his own successful company, I feel as though corporate America is one of the main reasons why there is so much division amongst African Americans. From the moment we are teenagers, we're focusing on college, then our careers.The problem that African American men and women have had is that we both have to work harder just to be accepted into the work force. We sacrifice so much to obtain a certain status or position and before we know it, we're pushing 30, wondering what happened.There are many male Kenyas. I was one of them. I can honestly tell you something, I never really started listening to Black women until I left corporate America.My career was my life and it distorted my view of reality. This is a problem with Kenya in this film. She is driven and lives so that she can work instead of working in order to live.Something else that I found to be interesting was the changes that Kenya made when with the White guy. He took her hiking and then she removed her weave. During that scene, there was a song playing, with the lyrics "What you do to me!" Who did what? Did Black men make Black women put weaves in their hair? We're partly to blame. So many brothers have chased after White women that sisters have found themselves changing their features to appeal to us. In addition, the media in this country has manipulated our sisters for too long. How can you feel good about yourself when every image you see on the way to work is of fair skinned women with features that you do not have? The only thing that Kenya and her IBM could relate to was problems about being Black. The IBM was lame. The only thing that he could do with her was take her to play golf and that is him imitating a White man. Brothers should take notes.We're all being assimilated. Instead of being African Americans, we've become a nation of dark skinned White folks.Our inception into this country is unique. No one is suggesting that we stay angry, but this movie is divisive.Brothers dating White men is nothing new. For years, too many of us have had trophies and it had a rippled effect.This movie sends the wrong message. I'm not suggesting that beautiful women stay sad and oppressed. It suggest that a White man is going to take you somewhere that a Black man can't.This is wrong.Although this is a film, it has become gospel for some Black women. The negative imagery in this film along with Tyler Perry's films have assisted in destroying the image of Black men in this country.I have a question for all sisters. Put yourself in Kenya's shoes. Perhaps you're not as accomplished in your career, but find yourself relating to Kenya. You have a nice job, apartment and find yourself single.Okay. What about the Black men who don't have corporate jobs or perhaps don't have a career with the same stature or prestige. Would you date a Black landscape artist? What about a bus driver? Some of the dialog in this film seemed so contrived and it seemed as though the writer was trying to make every excuse for Black women too date White men. The father's bathroom speech and Michael Epps speech about color not being relevant were ridiculous. No Black man in this country will tell you that color isn't relevant. This is dialog from a Black woman who isn't dealing with the reality that is still this country.This country's current structure was founded on racism, don't think that this will ever change.Why is it that a White man can only deliver SOMETHING NEW?

The idea that this movie adds anything original to the dramedy category is misplaced. It's more of a commonplace romance movie, with a little bit of racial relations and tensions thrown to keep it off balance. Unfortunately some of the dialog to try to keep it off-balance as well as situations are not well presented, unrealistic, and distasteful. For instance, when the David character gets belittled in several scenarios during conversations and introductions at the night club or in the back-yard - the script is contradicting it's general edict of "colorblind" love (itself actually a flawed premise). Likewise, some of the Kenya's character's work-place friction are obviously intentionally overblown. (spoiler) Or when David goes about discussing how he's not against talking about race, but retorts "he's black?!" in a heated conversation. There is too much of that contrived dialog. It's phony and not based in reality. Not to say the movie is awful - it's not. It has some good, albeit clichéd, things to say about following your heart, and the lead actress Sanaa Lathan has a great presence on the movie, dwarfing mostly the rest of the cast. Worthy of a look if you like the romantic comedies to judge for yourself. 6/10

This movie was so wonderfully cute.I found it very real. This film does not preach the "joys" of interracial dating, but gives the watcher the true nature of what dating and finding love should be. It shows how the constraints that family , those around us , society and even ourselves can keep one from from finding happiness.It tells the story of a woman who finally frees herself of those constraints to find true love and happiness. A very good lesson for love and life.One of the best lessons that the protagonist Kenya learns , is that you may get the "Perfect" guy, (as in the Blair Underwood character), but that those ideals of perfection get lost when the feelings JUST AREN'T THERE.This movie is a wonderful story of love, romance, and letting go of certain strong ideals, so one can find everything one ever wanted.

Well I loved the movie, I liked Simon Baker in it a lot. He made the movie worth watching. Kudos to the casting people. Of course it is a romantic comedy and the outcome is predictable.But, as for me, a European, I think it's pretty normal to date someone from a different race. Love is colorblind anyway, I personally would not have gone for that boring girl, she was way too conservative and not that cute. She reminded me of a reborn Christian I was dating some time ago.But I was more than a bit surprised to see that it's such a big thing in the States, to date someone from a different race. I thought you guys were over that long ago.