Monday, November 20, 2006

The Nativity Story

Tonight I saw The Nativity Story starring Keisha Castle-Hughes and Oscar Isaac.

Perfectly timed to coincide with the holiday season, this film begins at the time of the Virgin Mary's "miracle" and concludes following the birth of Jesus Christ.

Castle-Hughes does a fine job of portraying the naive young Mary, and Isaac is equally convincing as the understanding Joseph. The supporting characters were also very true to their Biblical descriptions with the exception of the Three Wisemen who were a bit too comical for my liking.

The cinematography is striking—you do feel as if you are roaming about ancient Nazareth, however the element that is missing is the intangible magic that a story so sacred deserves. I felt guilty for not weeping when the Star of Bethlehem lit up the sky, or when they showed crucified men lined up in the village for show.

Perhaps its me that needs the spark of divinity, or maybe it was just the film.

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