BLACK NATIVITY (2013) – My rating: 9/10

Not only is this a feel good movie, it sends a powerful message of forgiveness and redemption.  IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD!  Having lived in Harlem the first 13 years of my life, I can attest to a village that didn’t allow children on the streets during school hours or back talk to adults or any type of disrespect to elders.  Most parents disciplined their children and didn’t try to be their friends.  Church was a way of life and teenage pregnancies were not celebrated.  Black Nativity stars Jennifer Hudson as Naima, Forrest Whitaker as Reverend Cornell Cobbs, Angela Bassett as Aretha Cobbs, Mary J. Blige as the Angel, Tyrese Gibson as Loot and Jacob Latimore as Langston.  I had no idea what to expect but boy was I pleasantly pleased.  If you’re human, emotions will arise and hallelujahs will be shouted.  A mother and son facing eviction is challenged to deal with their past in order to move forward in a positive way.  Naima, a single mom, sends her only child, during the Christmas holidays, from from Maryland to Harlem, NY to live with grandparents he doesn’t know.  Having mixed emotions about leaving his mom, Langston makes decisions based on his current circumstances. The music is outstanding, the singing superb and the acting by such a stellar cast, fantastic.  While this film is a shoe in for Christians, I think everyone will agree, Black navitivy is good for anyone’s soul.  I for one, have made plans to purchase this one for my library of exceptional movies.

I’M IN LOVE WITH A CHURCH GIRL (2013) – My rating: 6.5/10

I had hoped for a lot from” I’m in love with a church Girl” but…  If you’re going to show gangsters reformed, especially of their own accord, you have to get your facts straight and it has to be believable.  Whether it was due to a low budget or bad directing, this movie was corny, unconvincing and unbelievable.  If the addicting game of drug dealing were that easy to get out of, why do most stay in till death or life in prison?  I’m not saying it can’t be done but on the level this firm deals, it’s highly unlikely.  Additionally, who allows the DEA to work 24/7 on a potential drug bust that will only yield a couple of small fries?  In a time when there’s no money and eveything from education to jobs are in jeopardy, what budget is allocated for a low level drug bust using high level surveillance equipment?

A former drug dealer, Les Montego, meets a girl, falls in love and risk everything to keep her and out of respect, he doesn’t sleep with anyone, including the girl he’s in love with, pending marriage.  That’s unrealistic for the characters in this life style.  They tried to show some of the struggle in keeping this kind of committment, but it just wasn’t convincing.  I wish with every fiber of by being that it could and would be this way, but all in all, this movie was wrapped up too tightly in a nice, neat unbelievable  package.  At times, some of the transitioning seem amateurish.  Cute movie but unrealistic.  Casing Ja-Rule Atkins was brillian as he came off as believable as one could possibly be under the circumstances.  Steven Baldwin as a DEA cop didn’t prove to be tough enough for a DEA position and Adrienne Bailon as Les Montego’s girlfriend was very believable.  Check it out on DVD!