|
WWJD? He’d go see this movie. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Roger Moore, McClatchy-Tribune
|
|
Friday, 01 December 2006 |
|
|
|
|
 ‘The Nativity Story’
4 out of 5
Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Ciaran Hinds
PG / 1 hr. 30 mins. /
Carmike 10
Cinemark 16
Cinemark Greeley
Metrolux 14
This is the movie Mel Gibson should have made, a simple tale simply titled, and sweetly told.
“The Nativity Story” reveals why the narrative virtues of this blend of myth and “Gospel” truth, the Biblical account of Jesus’ birth, has withstood the test of time.
“Nativity” is an intimate but old-fashioned Bible epic, with good actors, modern production values and a script that rarely crosses the line into cloying. And the tale it relates, of heroes and villains, humble poverty and overt humanity, feels warm and familiar in the hands of a director for whom “edge” has dominated her resume until now.
Keisha Castle-Hughes of “Whale Rider” is the young Mary, reluctantly engaged to brick-layer/craftsman Joseph (Oscar Isaac).
“Why do they force me to marry a man I do not love?”
She is then visited by an angel (Alexander Siddig of “Syriana”) who tells her that she’s now pregnant with a child that is not her future husband’s.
It’s a story she knows she’s going to have trouble selling in the backward, “Stone her to death” village of Nazareth. Even her family is ashamed.
But Zechariah’s been hearing voices, too. And his too-old-to-conceive wife, Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, is now miraculously pregnant with a baby they will call “John” (the Baptist). When Mary visits Elizabeth, she is reassured. And when the fabulous Persian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo (“House of Sand and Fog”) tearfully embraces her cousin, virgin-pregnancy story and all, cynicism melts away from this movie.
Catherine Hardwicke’s film (she did the frightening what-your-teenagers-are-up-to drama “thirteen”) then settles into the comforting rhythms of a story most of the world knows, in some form or other.
King Herod (the wonderful Ciaran Hinds), a paranoid and superstitious king for a paranoid and superstitious time, is consumed with fear of a prophecy. His “go to the town of your birth to be counted” decree is meant to track down the descendent of the House of David who will come to rule the world. To Herod, that means a man, a leader, who will topple his kingdom.
Three wise men from the East confer, bicker and then set out to chase down a star and a prophecy across the desert wastes, if only they can agree on the luggage.
“Nativity” doesn’t alter the story, question it or even give it a new spin. But the film does embrace its humane elements and heart, making it not just for the fervent and the converted. | Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
