Film Reviews

The Nativity Story

• Rating:
• Director: Catherine Hardwicke
• Starring: Ciaran Hinds
• Details: US / 101mins (PG).

So, two years on after Mel Gibson killed Jesus, Thirteen director Catherine Hardwicke delivers a film about the weeks and months running up to his birth (I don't want to give anything away here - he makes a small cameo at the end).Mary (Castle-Hughes) and Joseph (Isaac) are forced to leave their village of Nazareth and travel to Bethlehem when King Herod (Hinds), fearing a prophecy that a new king will usurp his throne, makes his subjects enter into his register. Running parallel to this, the three wise men debate over what an alignment of three stars could mean. There are a number of problems with The Nativity Story and the major one is the acting: Castle-Hughes shone in Whale Rider, but it looks like her bit part under the direction of George Lucas - the man who kills talent - in Revenge Of The Sith had a damaging effect on her. She's very stiff here but, then again, how do you play the mother of God? Isaac is fine and Hinds, arguably the best thing here, acts like he's in a different movie - which, by the way, looks like a better one - and the film only comes alive when he's on screen. The dialogue is very stilted and the 'jokes' the wise men crack are very poor indeed. The biggest problem is the story itself. We all know it by now and there's nothing here that adds to it. The Nativity Story is not the greatest story ever told - better order that Timelife DVD instead.

Review by Gavin Burke