Movie Review: The Nativity Story

Written by Mike Rich (Finding Forrester) and directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen), The Nativity Story humanizes each of the key characters in a way I have not seen before. I enjoyed the nuances of the relationship between Mary and Joseph as they came to know and trust each other throughout their journey together to Bethlehem. The movie was well-cast and none of the actors over-played their roles. Oscar Isaac could not have been any more genuine and heart-warming as Joseph. Keisha Castle-Hughes seemed to effortlessly portray the life of young Jewish women at the time. She played a Mary who was strong-willed yet obedient, kind yet able to hold her own, young and seemingly frail, yet resilient. Though the story was predictable, Rich and Hardwicke took enough editorial license to fill in the gaps in the traditional Christmas story to add depth and compelling human qualities to the characters, yet remained true to the scriptural details.

The movie opens with the slaughter of Bethlehem's innocents under orders from King Herod, who fears a king will rise up from among the people and usurp his power. Ciarán Hinds stunningly portrays Herod as ruthless, cold-hearted and ambitious, revealing through dialogue with his sole living son, that he (Herod) has already killed one wife and two other sons for betraying him. The film then jumps back to the previous year and the prophecy that informs Zechariah (Stanley Townsend) that his wife, Elizabeth (Shohreh Aghdashloo), will bear a child, though both of them are far past their prime. The scene of Zechariah in the inner temple receiving this unlikely news was at the same time thrilling and frightening.