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'Preaching to the Choir': Too much preaching, not enough choir

Slightly better in terms of story than last year's middle-of-the-road, made-in-Atlanta "The Gospel," the Harlem-set "Preaching to the Choir" still could use the earlier film's plentiful, rousing music.

Freestyle Releasing 'Preaching to the Choir' C The verdict: Could use a little less sermonizing story line and a lot more enrapturing gospel music. Director: Charles Randolph-Wright Starring: Billoah Greene, Darien Sills-Evans, Novella Nelson, Janine Green, Eartha Kitt Run time: 100 minutes Release date: April 14, 2006 Rating: PG-13 for language, sex and drug references. On the web Official movie site Rate 'Preaching to the Choir' Go see it 59.32% 35 Make it a matinee 15.25% 9 Wait to rent 22.03% 13 Don't bother 3.39% 2

A tale of brothers — one who becomes a preacher (Darien Sills-Evans of "X-Patriots"), the other a popular rapper dubbed Zulunatic (Billoah Greene of "Everyday People" and "Brother to Brother") — "Choir" is blessed early on with a short supporting turn by Patti LaBelle. As a choir director and singer during the brothers' younger years, her vocals pump perfect doses of adrenaline into the film. But she exits too soon.

Other recognizable talents show up — Tim Reid as a street prophet, Eartha Kitt as a sassy parishioner and Tichina Arnold as a curvy church office worker — but the film's main focus is the brothers' often at-odds relationship.

It seems the church's membership is falling and the rapper, who has a major falling out with his Mafioso-style, mega-watt producer, comes home and is lured into helping with the choir.

Then there's this choir contest, see, and somehow everything begins to resemble "Sister Act," with singing performances and guns (the latter from the producer's gang) and, ultimately, good wishes and hugs. Unfortunately, it's all far less funny than Whoopi Goldberg's film and far less engaging.

Filmed in summer 2003 and formerly known as "On the One," "Choir" won three awards at the American Black Film Festival. It also had a one-time showing last year at the Pan African Film Festival in Atlanta under its previous title. It's rolling into theaters here and elsewhere as part of the wake of "The Passion of the Christ" in which church-related films seem to be finding a fairly solid toehold.

Its message of strong family ties, hope and trust is certainly a plus. One just wishes that with the word "choir" in the title, there would be a lot more top-drawer gospel singing.