[h2]8. Much Ado About Nothing[/h2]
Joss Whedon’s homemade Shakespeare adaptation is more or less exactly what I had expected since the project was first announced: Beautifully acted, insightfully staged, enormously funny, and, at times, relentlessly casual, as if one were attending an intimate Shakespeare reading at Joss’s house. That lack of revelation may serve as a disappointment to some fans, but I am perfectly content to take the film for the small but immensely satisfying treat it is. Much Ado About Nothing is easily my favorite Shakespeare play, and even if he is working with a budget smaller than that allotted to craft services on any given day of The Avengers shoot, it is a joy to see Whedon’s sharp, distinctive take on the material, one that builds steadily to a surprisingly weighty emotional climax.
Much of the credit must go to the ensemble, of course, particular Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof as the iconic Beatrice and Benedict, who immediately enter the pantheon with two of the all-time great cinematic Shakespeare portrayals. Their chemistry is practically magical, a sentiment that can be extended to the film as a whole. This is intimate, small-scale Shakespeare to be sure, but for a low-budget production made almost entirely out of passion and creative energy, it evokes every side of this great text in clever and insightful fashion, bringing both the humor and pathos out to degrees that may take audiences aback.
Read my full review here.
Much Ado About Nothing is now playing in limited theatrical release.
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Published: Jul 10, 2013 09:02 am