Much Ado About Nothing

Film (2013)

With Amy Acker (Beatrice), Alexis Denisof (Benedick), Nathan Fillion (Dogberry), Clark Gregg (Leonato), Reed Diamond (Don Pedro), Fran Kranz (Claudio), Jillian Morgese (Hero), Sean Maher (Don John), Spencer Treat Clark (Borachio), Riki Lindhome (Conrade), Ashley Johnson (Margaret), Emma Bates (Ursula)

Two pairs of stars show their crossings: Benedick and Beatrice, strong-willed, acerbically-tongued, opponents get tricked into discovering their underlying love; and, Claudio and Hero, initially a more simply aligned pair, later get tangled in their own knotty dilemma. It all works out nicely after some innocent, and some not so innocent, devilry, and the considerably bumpy ride which follows.

What a great interpretation this is of the well-traveled Shakespearean battle of wits. Apparently, Josh Whedon filmed it on something of a whim, at his own house with a cadre of actors who are also friends, capturing it all in twelve days.

Whedon is mostly known for directing things like Buffy The Vampire Slayer and The Avengers and did not have Shakespeare in his obvious repertoire. But what a rabbit he pulled out of the hat here in this simply, but elegantly and intelligently, constructed black and white film.

The acting is really wonderful.

Alexis Denisof as Benedick and Amy Acker as Beatrice make a finely pitched duo, sleekly transforming their antipathies into passions.

Fran Kranz as Claudio is youthfully noble and Jillian Morgese as Hero is charmingly engaging.

A hilarious turn is done by Nathan Fillion as Dogberry, chief of police, who gives each nuance of silliness a perfect, modern cop, adornment, with ironies and laughs at every turn.

The confined setting seems to work perfectly, combining the space of a play without seeming claustrophobic.

It is great to hear these American actors doing their Shakespearean turns with complete naturalness in American accents. Somehow, the very contemporary setting, dress and interpretation help that to seem entirely natural.

Given the success of this venture, I can easily see Whedon going right through the Shakespearean corpus to produce a distinctively colloquial, American film version of the set. Given the track and field record on this one, it might take him a few years to shoot all thirty-six, but odds out of the gate are that it would be well worth the effort.

Music, settings, costumes are all done brilliantly. In a Chaplinesque turn, Joss Whedon even wrote the original music!

A real enjoyment all around.

– BADMan