Old formula yields something new

I will say this about "Something New": I've never seen a textbook romantic comedy gleam with such color and vision.

"Something New" is such a nice visual change of pace from the coarsely made date movies that usually come down the pike that you wish the story sparkled as brightly. Although it travels a road date movies don't often take -- interracial love -- the song remains the same.

All the components are here: The uptight, single-minded career gal (Sanaa Lathan) who works herself ragged to forget the fact that she doesn't have a man; her gaggle of ride-or-die girlfriends; the upper-crust family members who keep urging her to settle down; and, of course, the man (Simon Baker) who comes into her life and straight-up flips her script.

In "New," the script is flipped tremendously since the man is a blond-haired, blue-eyed white guy who tries to get the uptight, single-minded and black career girl out of her buppie cocoon. And boy, does he ever. He's got her taking out her weave, putting on red nail polish and basically shedding her saditty inhibitions.

Baker's sensitive landscaper is everything she wants in a soulmate. He isn't just a nice white boy, but the most perfect white boy in all of movie history. I'm surprised "New" doesn't have a scene where women of all races, colors and creeds chase him down the street, a la The Beatles in "A Hard Day's Night."

Baker has a hard time getting over the whole black-white hump. But the more she denies it, the more she wants him.

You've got to admire first-time director Sanaa Hamri, who has directed music videos for such artists as Common and P. Diddy, for making a movie that looks different from the average love story. She and cinematographer Shane Hurlbut give the film a mostly sunny, fleshed-out look. They certainly go out of their way to make both Lathan and Baker look like the most earthly visions of beauty and desire they can be in a PG-13 movie.

However, screenwriter Kriss Turner, who has penned scripts for many black sitcoms, applies some of the same sitcomy contrivances in "New." The conflicts and obstacles that surface for our lovebirds are more superficial than threatening. But near the end, everybody -- and I do mean everybody -- sees the light and realizes love conquers all, the heart gets what it wants, true love knows no skin color and all that.

Lightweight plot aside, "New" does show audiences that a black director can make a romantic comedy just as hokey -- yet more visually alluring -- than anything out there. It's certainly better than "Must Love Dogs."

Something New

2 1/2 stars

Cast: Sanaa Lathan, Simon Baker.

Director: Sanna Hamri.

Length: 1 hour, 40 minutes.

Web site: www.somethingnewmovie.net.

Theaters: Cary: Crossroads. Durham: Southpoint. Wynnsong. Garner: Towne Square. Morrisville: Park Place. Raleigh: Brier Creek. Carmike. Grande. North Hills. Wakefield. Smithfield: Smithfield.

Rating: PG-13 (sexual references).