Much Ado About Nothing: Don't Let the Title Fool You

Almost two years ago I wrote about how excited I was to hear that Joss Whedon had made a movie of the Shakespearean classic, Much Ado About Nothing. Then the trailer came out and promised to deliver a wondrous film (I've embedded the trailer below and you could watch it a dozen times for the music alone). Well now I've watched the actual movie and every impossibly high expectation has been met and exceeded.

Filmed in Whedon's own house (a gorgeous place designed by his architect wife and producer, Kai Cole) and shot in sumptuous black and white, the movie is an aesthetic marvel from start to finish. But if looks aren't your main concern, never fear. The cast features all the Whedon regulars and they have set out to make a hilarious and joyous movie that would thrill Shakespeare himself. At the heart of the film are the warring lovers, Beatrice and Benedick (Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof), who like to trade insults and pretend they loathe each other. Their friends and relatives see through this facade however and scheme to bring the two of them together.

In the meantime, two other lovers, Hero and Claudio (Jillian Morgese and Fran Kranz), have openly revealed their feelings and are to be married within a week. However, Don John, the evil villain of the piece has an idea to doom their romance and make everyone miserable. Because that's what villains do. Interestingly, Whedon has turned one of Don John's henchmen into a henchwoman, an always welcome twist in male-dominated Hollywood. There are a few other twists to the classic tale as well, and oftentimes Whedon will use silent montages to illustrate events that are being related by the characters. All of which serves to make the story fresh, modern, and compelling. Even though the language is from the 16th century, the characters and their motivations are timeless.

Much Ado About Nothing is a fantastic play but it also a very weird one, with distinctly odd facets and revelations that only Shakespeare could dream up. The key element of the movie, therefore, is that everyone is on a steady diet of whiskey shots and red wine. When every character is stumbling around with a wineglass in hand, it makes the more bizarre parts of the story seem plausible. The Prince's proposal to woo Hero on Claudio's behalf seems like a weird idea, at least in the 21st century, but when you're a little bit smashed, it sounds like a plan. 

Much Ado About Nothing is another masterpiece in the Whedon canon. The performances are incredible, with every actor using the beats in between the dialogue to do something hilarious or embark upon a bit of physical comedy. The soundtrack, composed by Whedon himself and featuring songs from the play, is lively and atmospheric. Because so many Whedon regulars are featured, one side effect of watching this movie is that you may want to revisit his other work. I was particularly amused by Fran Kranz as Claudio and I think a repeat viewing of The Cabin in the Woods is in the offing. But even if you are a Whedon novice, you will find something to love in this film. So get thee to a theater!