By Marc Peoples
The Hallmark channel presents a new Hallmark original join In the neighborhood, A holiday In Harlem!
The movie is about a successful executive, Jazmin (Olivia Washington) who returns to her home in Uptown Harlem for a quick visit, but ends up staying after her grandmother (Tina Lifford) gets injured.
She takes over the organization of the block’s annual Christmas Jamboree alongside her best friend, Caleb (Will Adams). Jazmin soon finds out that she has much to learn about the community she grew up in and what her heart desires.
To get straight into it, if you get that dopamine and oxytocin release from watching Hallmark or Lifetime movies then this one is definitely for you. It’s a feel-good movie with the common tropes of community bonding, and an isolated protagonist who left their hometown to pursue a career and fall in love. Though on a small scale, like other Hallmark movies, it represents the black community well, which is a definite plus.
The movie does give the audience a sense of Harlem during the holiday season. The writing and the directing do a pretty good job setting the scene with its opening scene of characters walking through the neighborhood. I’m sure Harlemites will get a glimpse or two of a few familiar locations. It has been said that it’s rare for Hallmark to have inner-city settings, hopefully, Harlemites are happy with their home appearing on the rarity list.
Overall, this Made- For- TV- Movie is a combination of Comedy, Romance, and Drama and has the typical cheesy and corny Hallmark dialogue, acting, and soundtrack that most of you crave. You can get some laughs from it if you watch it with family or friends, but it also can give you the “happily ever after” you need.
You can watch the movie on Philo or rent it on YouTube.
Marc Peoples
Marc Peoples is a writer, film, and game enthusiast with a full range of electronic or digital games experience, who lives on the west coast in Los Angeles, CA. He graduated with honors from the Los Angeles Film School (LAFS), where he studied film and screenwriting. www.linkedin.com, www.instagram.com
Photo Credit: 1) Hallmark. 2) imdb.com 3) hallmark.com 4) blackgirlnerds.com
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