I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Very pleasant and Heart warming movie. As usual, excellent performance by Martin Freeman but Marc Wootton was so on to it. Kids played a major role which bring this movie to life.

Finally decided to write a review in the lead up to Christmas to get used to the layout. And what better film to review than a Christmas film like 'Nativity!', being somebody who likes Christmas films and some of the cast members.'Nativity!' turned out to be a nice charming film. Not a Christmas cracker by all means, there are better Christmas films out there ('It's a Wonderful Life', the Alastair Sim 'Christmas Carol' and the original 'Miracle on 34th Street'). It's also hardly a piece of coal at the bottom of your stocking, there are also far worse of anything to do with Christmas like 1991's 'The Christmas Tree' and 'The Christmas Foal'. 'Nativity!' clearly knew what it wanted to be and never tried to do any more than needed, also achieving the main objectives of a successful film.It's not perfect. The story is very predictable in places, with it not doing much new with some of its elements. The film also has times where momentum is lost, with the finale for example going on longer than needed. Am not a massive fan of Alan Carr, so was not sure what to make of his small role. There is so much to enjoy in 'Nativity!'. In particular the splendid cast. Martin Freeman is in a role that he's perfect for. Marc Wooton is clearly enjoying himself and has his fair share of scene-stealing moments. Pam Ferris seems to do no wrong, and a big shout out has to go to the children. They are so natural and have great comic timing, they not only are more than a match for the adults but even upstage them.'Nativity!' looks nice enough in its own simple, un-flashy way. The music is very catchy and gives a real sense of Christmas, while for all the story imperfections the film has a lot of spirit and energy throughout.A decent script always helps, and 'Nativity!' has that. It has sparkling comic elements and a very warm heart and sweet charm, without being too sentimental.In summary, while not mind-blowing 'Nativity!' is a festive charmer that makes do for the festive season and the lead up to it. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Premiering on BBC2 over the Christmas period, I decided to catch-up with it even if I disliked the look of it from the trailer over two years ago. My first impressions were wrong.Freeman plays his hassled teacher role straight (and very believably) so it's up to Wooton to be the clownish man-child, providing most of the laughs although Freeman has hilariously great 'WTF?' expressions in reaction to his co-star's antics. Ferris is the head, who's like the typical didactic staff member, who just wants to keep everything under control. Carr plays an exaggerated version of himself as a critic, Jensen is sweet as Freeman's ex, Watkin's plays his role broadly, pretty much a panto villain and the kids are alright, with the smallest boy stealing the show at nearly every opportunity. Those who remember Britain's Got Talent from the first series will spot some familiar faces.The pacing is pretty good and it never felt plodding anywhere, so kudos for the editing - some shots could've been a bit longer, so I could've appreciated a scene more. It does have a very televisual look, as I said and the two primary schools must be the smallest I've ever seen as apart from the main two classes, the schools look pretty empty, so maybe they couldn't they afford extras? The plot is predictable, it had some some manipulatively mawkish scenes (although one main one actually did make me cry as the actor's voice faltered while he was talking) and it did go beyond 'suspension of disbelief' for the ending, but with that exclamation mark in the title, this was always going to be a festive farce, not to be taken too seriously.The songs remind me of the cheerful exuberance some of Brittania High's songs had, so the Christmas primary school version of that is what the original music reminded me of. I didn't dislike any and would consider buying the OST.Overall: When the laughs come, it delivers and it had a high laugh count, for me. The drama side isn't so great and feels contrived due to clunky writing. Some of the youngsters have good comic timing and are actually pretty natural when they aren't looking lost/gurning in a scene. But, like Teachers main focus, this about the adults and the kids are just ancillary members. In tone, it's sort of like a spin-off Waterloo Road - The Primary Nativity. It zips along nicely, has a joyful, likable soundtrack and although it had no real reason to be released in cinemas, it's better than I thought it would be and will become an annual watch in my home - 6/10.

Whats not to love about this movie? the adult performances are fine (martin freeman doing his usual spot on job), but it's the performance of the kids that have you crying with laughter one minute and just crying the next. This was an unexpected pleasure and an absolute joy from start to finish. This has definitely gone to the top of my "must watch at Christmas" list!! I defy anyone to watch this and not feel the emotions well up (in a good way!) as they view it! If for nothing else, then watch this movie for the last thirty minutes or so to see the nativity play in its full amazing show. Anyone with kids knows what its like to sit through these events, but you'll wish this is how your kids had done it!