2006, New Line Cinema, Dir. Catherine Hardwicke - Starring Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, Hiam Abbass, Shaun Toub, Ciarán Hinds, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Stanley Townshend, Alexander Siddig, Nadim Sawalha, Eriq Ebouaney, Stefan Kalipha, Alessandro Giuggioli

Although it has visibly trailed off the coattails of Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ, it is still acceptable for a big-budgeted rendition of the Nativity to be filmed. Detractors will argue its lesser importance than Christ’s death, but director Catherine Hardwicke and writer Mike Rich have put together a coherent if not mildly kitschy story. Its audience appeal will be Christian families, and there won’t be any controversy stirred amongst religious groups. The Nativity Story is an inoffensive and candy-coated vision, heralding most of its dialogue and setting from the gospels of Mark and Luke, which should interest technical theologians. But beyond many of the good performances and fantastic mise-en-scène, there is an unintended glimmer of biblical braggadocio - as if the piece was written for Cecil DeMille and his cronies. The film incessantly tries to work on a grandiose scale, but it works better as a small piece of personal conflict. Regardless, Nativity is a good effort in a world of political correctness.

If you haven’t seen it in a front lawn or in front of a church, here’s how it goes. Mary (Hughes) is a 16 year old girl from Nazareth, when she receives an announcement from the angel Gabriel (Siddig) that she will bear the son of God, and that he will be named Jesus. But this is controversial in the town - she is only 16, and she has not been intimate with her new husband Joseph (Isaac). Joseph is hurt by the news, as are her parents Joachim (Toub) and Anna (Abbass). But when she learns her cousin Elizabeth (Aghdashloo) is also to bear a child - John the Baptist - Mary realizes she is part of a larger plan. It is not until Joseph himself receives word from Gabriel that his wife is not lying that he accepts his fate. Meanwhile, King Herod (Hinds) has become suspicious from prophecies that a child will become the king of kings, and orders a decree and census for every person in the land. Mary must travel with Joseph to his homeland Bethlehem to take refuge, while the three Orient magi (Sawalha, Ebouaney, and Kalipha) travel to the same destination awaiting the birth of the child.

Keisha Castle-Hughes, best known for her role in Whale Rider, must have taken the method acting a little too far when the news reported her real-life pregnancy at the age of 16. Thankfully, New Line has not advertised this fact, since her performance is relatively acceptable. She has been cast as the unconventional Mary - a teenager with a holy destiny, who is left pondering why she was chosen. The burden of having God’s child is written as a large subplot, making her job all the more outstanding. Oscar Isaac, who is a no-name actor from my point of view, does a sub-standard job as Joseph, the man who would do most anything to carry on the will of God. His chemistry with Castle-Hughes may come across to many as pedantic, but I appreciated it in the grand scale of things. Alexander Siddig is a wonderful choice for the angel Gabriel, shining (literally and figuratively) in every opportunity he has. Shohreh Aghdashloo comes across as over-exaggerated and boastful through her character Elizabeth, unlike her screen partner Stanley Townshend. The three wise men - Sawalha, Ebouaney, and Kalipha - work together as collective comic relief at first, but their roles become more solidified towards the end.

The set designs and costuming for Nativity are phenomenal, recalling a period of film dominated by biblical narratives. Even as the townspeople of Nazareth go about their daily chores, you can see a distinct emphasis on detail - from making cheeses and wine to washing laundry via ancient methods. The film, like Passion, has a gritty feel to it, adding dirt and grime to its set pieces, and even designing the kingdom of Jerusalem as a dominant metropolis with white fort walls and rekindled icons. The script ends up rushing itself for the finale, as Mary breaks water and is about to give birth. But past this hurried finish, the manger scene is one of the most powerful representations of Jesus’ birth. Ignoring what some disparagers would call literal inaccuracies about the Nativity, it is a visually stunning ten minutes, and is sure to hit its audiences with great magnitude. I was worried how the birth itself would be filmed, but I was so assured by what I saw, that it justified the making of the movie itself.

Call it what you will, but The Nativity Story isn’t the perfect Christmas movie. It has its share of faithful performances, but some of Rich’s writing is questionable. Whether or not you appreciate the fact that the film was even made, it can be said that the cast and crew maintained respect for the material regardless.