Beaucoup de bruit pour rien

Greetings again from the darkness. The previous movie version of William Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing was directed in 1993 by Kenneth Branagh, who also directed Thor (2011). This modernized, much simpler version is directed by Joss Whedon, who also directed The Avengers last year. It's difficult to imagine a more oddball movie symmetry than that! Whedon's production plays almost like a home movie, and in a way it is. Filmed at the director's Santa Monica house with a cast featuring mostly a close group of his friends ... those that frequently gather for Shakespeare dinner parties ... this one exudes a certain joy and love of the material from all involved.

I have always been more attracted to Shakespeare's comedies than his more famous tragedies. His startling wordsmithing is always filled with an edge and is borne of real personalities we all recognize. Combine that with director Whedon's love of rapid-fire, wise-cracking dialogue and we get something from the ilk of Preston Sturges or Howard Hawks screwball comedies.

The banter and battle of wits between Beatrice (Amy Acker) and Benedick (Alexis Denisof) are at the heart of the story. Their flirtations are recognizable as two who doth protest too much ... as if it could hide their mutual attraction. In one of the most pure comedic roles from the pen of Shakespeare comes Dogberry, the detective on the case of the dark conspiracy occurring right under the noses of most characters. Nathan Fillion ("Castle") plays Dogberry in such a manner that he steals every scene in which he appears ... both verbally and physically. He provides some laugh out loud moments.

You will recognize some of the others in Whedon's acting troupe: Reed Diamond plays Don Pedro, Clark Gregg as Leonato, and Fran Kranz as Claudio. Newcomer Jillian Morgese plays Hero, the wronged bride-to-be, whose misfortunes lead to the great Dogberry scenes.

The temptation here is to say that a very entertaining movie can be made simply, cheaply and quickly (12 days filming). Of course, as wonderful as Amy Acker is, the real star is the story from William Shakespeare ... even in this modernized setting. As we all know, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet". Whedon and his cronies prove this.

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.

Well Joss, you have done something no one else has ever accomplished....got me to watch a Shakespeare film. And all I can say is what a treat! For years, I have read about your Shakespeare get togethers at your home and it is nice to see an extension of that on the screen. When I first read that you had filmed this at your home and in only 12 days, I thought it would be unpolished and only available online or via DVD purchase. It appears I was wrong on both counts. This is a great production for anyone that knows your work and the cast you have worked with so many times before. If they do not know your work and see this because it is Shakespeare, I don't believe anyone will leave the theatre disappointed. Congratulations also regarding North American distribution rights being sold at TIFF.

Thanks again on an excellent bit of entertainment and congratulations to you and your amazing cast and crew!

"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.