The Nativity Story (2006): Dir: Catherine Hardwicke / Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, Alexander Siddig, Shawn Toub, Ciaran Hinds: As with The Passion of the Christ, here is another Biblical account recalling the leading up to the birth of Christ through the virgin Mary and the long journey to Bethlehem where the savior is born. Three wise men follow the bright star with hope in mind but King Herod grows nervous and orders the slaughter of male children. Director Catherine Hardwicke gives great insight into the lives of Joseph and Mary and the task before them. Mary is played wonderfully by Keisha Castle-Hughes of Whale Rider, and she portrays her as loyal to God and humble to others. Oscar Isaac plays Joseph who is disappointed upon learning of Mary's pregnancy until he is addressed by one of God's angels where he learns of God's will and the importance of this child. Alexander Siddig is featured as the angel Gabriel. Ciaran Hinds plays King Herod. Finally we have Shawn Toub who is also featured along with spectacular art direction that makes this among the best of Biblical epics. This film unfortunately did not gain the same blockbuster success that The Passion of the Christ pulled off but it is equally just as well crafted and should appeal to those familiar with the account. Theme regards the hardship surrounding the events of the birth of Christ. Score: 10 / 10

Having recently seen and watched the BBC 2010 adaptation of THE NATIVITY, I was eager to find out how this Hollywood production value compared. It turns out to be even better, thanks to exceptional production values and a real resonance in terms of storytelling that brings both the era and the characters to life.The filmmakers don't go so far as to have the characters speaking in their original languages like Mel Gibson did for PASSION OF THE Christ, but everything else looks and feels great, particularly Oscar Isaac's and Keisha Castle-Hughes's very human Joseph and Mary. The backdrops and scenery are both lavish, with delicately-balanced humour and support from acting heavyweights like Ciaran Hinds.Altogether it's a touching, moving viewing experience and one that should appeal to Christian viewers everywhere, refreshingly free of the interplanetary nonsense that marred the BBC version (where I kept expecting Professor Brian Cox to pop up and explain the science behind the alignments of the planets or some such).

A deeply moving movie experience. Slow yes, but then this is not our usual brain numbing mindless action flick. It's about human emotions and inner conflicts, and what a fine way to portray the same on screen.A vastly underrated film that is sure to touch your heart the same way Shawshank Redemption did. A must watch for every serious movie lover and a definite must watch for a devout Christian.Note: I am not a Christian and I still find this movie worthy of a repeat viewing. This movie, like Shawshank Redemption is all about Faith, Hope and Love. ...and believing.I was watching this movie just a little after MIDNIGHT and it was raining heavily with heavy flashes of Lightning and huge/loud rolls of Thunder. This effect enhanced the overall "atmosphere" of my movie watching experience, ...and hard to believe, but the whole rain, lightning & thunder thing stopped as the movie wound to an end :-)

I am a believer in the Christ and naturally longed for a moderning telling of this wonderful event. I was anxious that people were starting to get interested in doing films like this one for a new generation of people.It was important for me to see this kind of treatment of the holy story. So many times in the recent past the story of Christianity is mired in bad press and it was essential that people be allowed to express this nativity story with natural wonder. I was glad that they cast Mary as a minority young woman. I understand that some experts believe that Mary was about 16 at the time of Jesus birth. The scenery and the aspect of lives in the time period were very interesting. The blue hues in the filming make the settings seem somber often, one thing that I wondered about how the people of the time saw the events that are now history.I loved this movie and think that no matter where you are in your walk to your journeys end one would enjoy this timeless story, thank you Catherin Hardwick for having the courage to do this movie.