This movie meant well, and it has the basic premise and story for a unique, intelligent and humorous romantic comedy. But it falls short in a few areas. The biggest problem is with Carl Payne and Stephanie Griffin, who have no chemistry together. They're supposed to be lifelong friends but their relationship lacks the depth and familiarity that childhood friends have. And their romantic scenes are forced and without sexual energy.
The director is completely unoriginal, throwing every narrative trick into this film. There's the clever chapter titlecard, the flashback sequence, the voiceover narration from Payne, the fantasy sequence, the character-talking-directly-at-the-camera interview narration, and lots of music montages. The cheap film stock is excusable, but there's plenty of poorly framed shots. Ninety percent of the shots have the characters partially out of frame. Very amateurish.
The writing's also lackluster. Although the premise has promise, it's the lame, wannabe Kevin Smith dialogue that sticks out as wince-inducing. There's even a "Star Wars" anecdote that's usually found in a Kevin Smith movie. Except for this one (about how Vader was black, Luke was white) wasn't funny. The actors uncomfortably spit out sex-talk and are either having conversations that don't flow, or are cookie cutter stereotypes, i.e., the angry Black Panther, the goofy white kids that act black, the high-maintenance black girl that hates black men. There's even a character, Jay, that seems to be imitating Ben Affleck imitating Quentin Tarantino.
As for the issue of interracial dating, it's not quite as taboo anymore. Sure, it makes some people uncomfortable, but concept of people losing out on a business contract in 2003 Los Angeles because they date a black man, is just as out-of-date as the slang term "swirl".
Overall the makings of a better movie are there, but the finished product is trying too hard to be so many other movies, that it's never it's own.
