The Nativity Story: Review

In the latest season special from Hollywood The Nativity Story, director Catherine Hardwicke working from a thoroughly researched script by Mike Rich ("The Rookie,""Finding Forrester"), depicts the birth of Christ in not quite a palatable manner for the reviewers, as one feels like she made the movie specifically to be shown in Sunday school classes — or perhaps on the Hallmark Channel.
It is an innovative approach, though, to portray Mary and Joseph (Keisha Castle–Hughes, the youngest person ever nominated for a best–actress Oscar for her performance in 2002's "Whale Rider," and Oscar Isaac) as a confused, newly married couple trying to comprehend the fact that they're about to become parents of the Messiah. The gospels of Matthew and Luke address Christ's infancy, but little has been known, or shown, about mom and dad before that night in the manger. This does give some audiences this feeling at–least that they have learnt something new.
And the scenery in Southern Italy (the same town where parts of "The Passion of the Christ" and "The Gospel According to St. Matthew" were shot) is striking in its bright and gritty realism. Mary and Joseph's 100–mile trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem was filmed in Morocco.
Hardwicke's history as a longtime production designer is evident in the film's attention to detail. But on a larger scale, her tone is too often educational paced.
Shohreh Aghdashloo, Ciaran Hinds, Shaun Toub and Hiam Abbas are among the eclectic international cast that's been casted.
"Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb," Aghdashloo says in an example of the film's clumsily literal dialogue as Elizabeth, Mary's cousin.
Both are surprised to learn in visits from the angel Gabriel (Alexander Siddig) that they're pregnant: Elizabeth had seemed too old and Mary had just become Joseph's wife in an arranged marriage to a man she barely knows and doesn't love (and had made a vow of chastity for their first year together).
While the very serious Mary is hiding out for a while with her cousin, King has begun his paranoid search for the Messiah, based on an Old Testament prophesy. He instructs his troops to kill anyone who might be this child, but also hopes to find him through the Roman census, which forces citizens to return to their birthplaces.
Having returned to Nazareth obviously pregnant, Mary has been ostracized by nearly everyone — except Joseph, who believes her, which makes her realize that maybe he's a good guy after all. She willingly agrees to accompany him to his hometown of Bethlehem on a donkey, across the desert, through Jerusalem, on the verge of giving birth. And of course once they arrive in town, there's — let's all say it together — no room at the inn.
Schlepping through the desert at the same time are the three Magi (Nadim Sawalha, Eriq Ebouaney and Stefan Kalipha), who ostensibly were meant to provide a touch of comic relief with their banter about the stars and planets aligning.
In their silken robes, the wise men — like everyone else in "The Nativity Story" — feel like participants in an elaborate high school production, one that looks authentic but has no soul.
But do check it out, with your kids that is, as this is indeed made for them to get a lesson or two in a movie format though adults may defer so.