In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Blistering performances.

Mary,Mother Of Jesus is a TV movie that doesn't venture far from biblical accounts to dramatize the life of the Virgin Mary.It stars Melinda Kinnaman as young Mary, Perrilla August as the older Mary, David Threlfall as Joseph, and Toby Bailiff and Christian Bale as, respectively, the younger and adult Jesus.The TV movie gets off to a promising start by showing Mary to be a resourceful and brave teenager, as she stands up to Roman soldiers who come thundering on horseback into her village. Then it proceeds chronologically, and the major events of Mary's life, and the life of Jesus, are played out in dramatic fashion. Mary is portrayed as having to face a series of struggles and tests of faith, from the time when she is terrified to meet the messenger of God who foretells the birth of the Messiah to her witnessing the brutal scene of her son's crucifixion.It isn't bad at all, and it certainly is earnest.In less than two hours however, we are whisked through the early womanhood and life of Mary, as well as Jesus's 33 years. It's a whirlwind tour, but not an unpleasant one. Christian Bale is a rather young Jesus, but, like everyone else involved here, very sincere.As it deals with material that will, of course, be familiar to most viewers, an unavoidable problem is that there are few surprises as it takes some artistic license to the script as it attempts to fill in some nuances of Mary's life.Unfortunately,it seems forced and somewhat incoherent.But overall,it will remain a decent film especially with Christians who are looking for a material about the Virgin Mary.

1999's low-budget "Mary, Mother of Jesus" is, to my mind, the most moving film adaption of the Christmas story, particularly the first third of the 90-minute film.The first 30-minutes or so comprise the Christmas story: Mary's encounter with an angel, her miraculous pregnancy, Joseph's initial decision to end their betrothal and changing his mind after a God-given dream, Jesus' birth in a Bethlehem stable, the 3 wise men and their gifts, Herod's murderous decision to kill all infants in the area, Joseph & Mary's escape, etc.Even though this is a low-budget picture, the filmmakers successfully create a powerfully affecting ambiance of reverence and beauty. It's hard to explain, but the film will move you to tears multiple times in the first half hour alone! At the halfway point we meet Jesus at 30-years of age, played by Christian Bale (renown for the modern Batman pictures). To be expected, the rest of the movie details Jesus' baptism, anointing, ministry, capture, torture, death and resurrection. Since there are only about 45-minutes to show all this there's not a lot of detail and the film loses the potent appeal of the first half, but it's not bad at all, it's just that the story passes by so briskly, which isn't a bad thing if you're in the mood for a fast-moving account of the story.Other films may have captured Jesus' ministry, death and resurrection better, like "The Passion of the Christ", but no other film captures the Christmas story as well as "Mary, Mother of Jesus," despite the low-budget. This includes the more recent "The Nativity Story," which has far better production values.This can be attributed to a handful of factors: Good actors in the main roles, e.g. Pernilla August as Mary and David Threlfall as Joseph, both outstanding; a quality score; and convincing sets, costumes and locations. (As far as locations go, IMDb states that the film was shot in Budapest, Hungary, but there are a lot of desert-like locations that clearly indicate that it was shot somewhere in the general area of Israel and the Middle East, so I don't know what to tell ya).FINAL WORD: "Mary, the Mother of Jesus" is worth checking out for its depiction of the Christmas story alone. The last hour, involving Jesus' ministry, death and resurrection, is solid but it lacks the detail of other cinematic accounts. Regardless, the first half hour or so is so moving it's worth the price of admission.

I am in no way a religious bigot nor do I try to preach my own personal religious beliefs onto others, but when it comes to a film with a subject matter like this, then I am prepared to comment and offer my views, whether tainted with my own beliefs or not.I am an Anglo Protestant (Church of England) and a regular church goer, and relish the chance to watch a film like this which I feel not only appeals to me with its inspiring and powerful story, but it has a personal message to give to all of us.Firstly, if I can set the record straight, this film is not about Jesus Christ as many people seem to believe, it is about Mary, his mother. Her sense of spirit and duty and of her strong belief in the spirit of God, a spirit which was so strong it led her to her being God's chosen vessel for Christ's entry into the world. This should put straight the reviewers who have stated that there are many chapters in Christ's life which seem to be overlooked. This is why.The young Mary is played wonderfully by Melinda Kinnaman, an under rated and largely unknown actress, but none the less an actress who seems to understand her part and delivers what I believe to be the most powerful performance in the film. She is one of the most talented and beautiful woman I have seen on the screen in recent years.It charts her struggles through Roman occupation, the scorn and ridicule given my her kinsman after the immaculate conception, the Birth in Bethlehem and the part she played in Jesus' upbringing and his later teachings and death. In essence it is primarily a touching Mother/Son drama using the Bible as a base subject.The nativity, the crucifixion and many other chapters of The New Testament are recreated here, in a truly inspiring story which never ceases to fill my heart with the strong messages it gives to us.Christian Bale plays Jesus well, and I think he stands out as one of the better screen Christ's. (remember Max Von Sydow in The Greatest Story Ever Told....Ouch!)Strong support and for once well researched authenticity, makes this a must for fans of all things Bilical.

I found this a refreshing and thought-provoking interpretation of how Mary lived and what kind of a person she was. It was great to break the mold of the mousey, demure, glowing, silent waif. This Mary was a feisty activist without being harsh or stepping over the line. Also, it is feasible that she taught Jesus some of the stories he later told, so thinking about her shaping role as his mother was also intriguing. Of course, Jesus did have a mind of his own - God's mind - which Mary only shared in part, and I would have liked to have seen him stand more firmly on his own two feet and take more authority, during the picture. I also wonder about the healthiness of this very intimate, mutually-dependent mother-son relationship. It is not impossible that Mary was there at Jesus' baptism.... Lots to think about, from her perspective and the silence of the Bible on such matters. All in all, not a bad version of Christ's life, through Mary's eyes. Just wish Jesus and his disciples were stronger, as I feel the Gospels represent them.