Beaucoup de bruit pour rien

I was pleasantly surprised to discover this movie on Hulu a few night ago, and since Much Ado About Nothing is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, I was eager to dive in.

For the most part, it doesn't disappoint. Whedon, as usual, has a good eye for mood and for how dialog impacts action. The visual of the "mourners" coming down the hillside with candles was in itself an amazing feat of cinematography and setting, for example. The acting was superb as well, and in general this modern translation of the play captures its essence and impact.

Some specifics for me:

1) The actress playing Beatrice -- amazing job. Hate to say this, but I think she may have done a better job of interpreting the role than Emma Thompson in many ways. Very believable incarnation, and this helped to make the humor of her biting wit more comprehensible.

2) The backstory -- Not that every little piece has to be specifically addressed, but I didn't quite get what Don Pedro was the "prince" of. Not sure if he and his "soldiers" were Mafia, or actual royalty, or what, but that lack of clarity seemed to hurt the credibility a bit.

3) The actor playing Benedick -- I've seen him before in other things, and he's generally good, but I don't think this was the role for him. As much as Beatrice sold her role to the audience, Benedick did not, especially in the dramatic scenes. He was okay in the purely comedic scenes, granted, but for me and others, his lack of "presence" hurt the relationship between him and Beatrice. Benedick is a difficult role, and perhaps another Whedon associate could have done it more justice. Tudyk, perhaps? Or put Fillion there instead of Dogberry?

4) General interpretation -- Lots of little things throughout to really help make the action and the words clear, or perhaps to put a little different twist to things. When Claudio sees Hero faint, for example, he instinctively starts to go to her but is restrained by Pedro; nice touch. The music is fun, and I'm going now to find this version of "Hey, Nonny, Nonny." Not quite sure why black and white was chosen, but no complaints; it adds some "classiness" to this movie. Acting in general was good -- Don John, Don Pedro, Leonato, Claudio, Ursula -- nearly everyone gave Branaugh's version a run for its money.

5) Diversity -- Not sure why this was so very, very white. I think there is a danger in diversity for diversity's sake, but no major roles in other ethnicities at all?

6) Dogberry -- It's going to be difficult for anyone to top Michael Keaton's take on Dogberry, but Nathan Fillion does a pretty good job here. I think one weakness is that somone (Whedon?) decided that Dogberry ought to have some credibility, so Fillion had to navigate tricky waters with the character. Not sure it completely worked, but Fillion did what he could with what he was given.

All in all, a fun rendition of a great play. I enjoyed the risks Whedon took, and the overall feeling of "a party gone wrong and then put right again."

This is such a great adaptation. The actors speak their lines with clarity and emotion. The cinematography is great, and the movie is in turns very funny and tragic. A lot will be written about how Hero would never simply die because she was accused of 'not being a virgin', well she didn't. For once when I was watching it I got a sense of what was driving Claudio, his sense of betrayal and hurt. What he did was reprehensible but you could understand that he did have what he thought was good reasons. And for once I got a sense of real threat from Benedict's challenge. Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof made a delightful Beatrice and Benedict. You could feel the attraction there and you knew why Don Redro had such an easy time of it convincing his fellow conspirators to get them together.

What really impressed me about this film is how obvious it is that the cast is having a good time. The acting seems to be effortless and it is all spot on, and Clark Gregg/Nathan Fillion/Reed Diamond are hilariously funny. I think this is how Shakespeare should be done, as simply great entertainment. When you have that, you have the complexities laid out before you and like Claudio's anger you can see the reasons for the actions of the characters plainly.

'Much Ado About Nothing' has been very well served by Wheedon and his company of players, such a joy and that can be so rare in films nowadays.

"Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more, Men were deceivers ever, One foot in sea and one on shore, To one thing constant never." Much Ado about Nothing

Deception for good and bad is the stuff of the popular Shakespearean comedy, Much Ado about Nothing. Joss Whedon's modern dress adaptation preserves in lovely fashion the Bard's meanings while making them readily applicable to modern times. The airy location at Whedon's Santa Monica estate, with its easily overheard conversations, allows men and women to deceive and be deceived and be caught but not fast enough to prevent some major hurt.

The battle of the sexes is best evidenced in the verbal roughhousing of Benedick (Alex Denisof) and Beatrice (Amy Acker): "I wish my horse had the speed of your tongue" (Benedick). The battle takes a grim toll when evil Don John (Sean Maher) sets up Claudio (Fran Kranz) and Hero (Jillian Morgese) for her infidelity and his refusal to marry her because of it. Contrarily, deception brings Beatrice and Benedick into a loving relationship, so the game of love is apace and indiscriminate.

Shakespeare has it both ways, a considerable feat, to bring the right lovers together and punish those who would destroy the love. The film shows in revealing angles (those bird's eye shots from the ceiling area are effective giving the overheard and peeping-tom points of view) and close-ups the ambiguities of love. Even when Benedick falls under love's aegis, that state continues to be difficult for both him and his love.

The striking black and white strips the romance of unnecessary frivolity while reminding the audience of the halcyon days of screwball repartee that such stars as Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant made high art:

Beatrice: "I would not deny you, but by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption."

Benedick: "Peace. I will stop your mouth."

Shakespeare plays out the battle of the sexes with his genial finesse, never forgetting the divisive nature of love:

"Friendship is constant in all other things, save in the office and affairs of love." Claudio

Although I am a devotee of Kenneth Branagh's 1993 adaptation, Whedon's takes a comfortable place in my favorite canon.

Transposed to an American setting, Joss Whedon's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING proves a highly entertaining romance. The two central characters Beatrice (Amy Acker) and Benedick (Alexis Denisof) begin the film as deadly enemies, but it's clear they're attracted to one another. They are brought together due to a combination of clear-headed thinking and clever machinations by their friends. Denisof is very good with his body; in one sequence he stretches and preens himself in front of Beatrice, much to her disgust. Acker has an equally funny scene where she tries to conceal herself beneath a kitchen unit. The supporting cast are equally good: I particularly liked Clark Gregg's Leonato, concealing a passionate nature beneath a cloak of respectability, and Jillian Morgese's Hero, a well-brought up girl wrongfully accused of adultery. Shot in atmospheric black-and-white in a country house over a period of sixteen days, the film makes wonderful use of light and shade. The verse-speaking is clear and lucid, and the story abundantly clear. I really admired this film; definitely worth a second look.

This Shakespeare adaptation hit the perfect tone for me. It felt intimate yet, after the story started to flow, was a delight to follow. Sometimes, Shakespeare on screen can be a labor for those with more modern sensibilities. That is not the case here at all. The first fifteen minutes or so were tedious but after those establishing scenes everything hit a great stride and became a delight to watch. Nothing seemed stuffy or pompous and everything flowed quite well. I'm very impressed with Whedon's ability to induce such a wonderful coupling of performance and story in just a few days worth of shooting. I'm not surprised given his intelligence and talent but it's still impressive. The cast was superb, every last one of them.