9.5/10
I had to go back and check, but Claudio (Fran Kranz) really
does say this is Act 5, Scene 4 in one of Shakespeare’s better comedies, Much
Ado About Nothing, “I’ll hold my mind, were she an Ethiope.” This is one of the more racist lines in
Shakespeare’s canon, but Joss Whedon is so adept at maneuvering in and around
the bard’s words that he brilliantly has Benedick (Alexis Denisof) stand right
next to him with a loud click of the tongue and shake of the head. That is not in Shakespeare’s play, but it is
just one of a thousand sly touches by Whedon.
Whedon abridged the play, but uses the exact same words,
except altering one line, which is a Jewish slur originally. Shakespeare was a bit sharp-tongued against
17th century minorities.
Otherwise, the words joust and rattle around in the air in present-day
Santa Monica. Rather than returning from
actual battle, it feels as if Don Pedro (Reed Diamond), Claudio, and Benedick
are returning from a Wall Street duel where all the action occurred in the
boardroom.
Shot in a lightning fast 12 days during Whedon’s break from
filming The Avengers (2012), and using his own house as the setting, Much
Ado About Nothing is a lightning bolt of energy. The famous back-and-forth verbal quips
between Benedick and Beatrice (Amy Acker) are completely engrossing. Acker steals every single scene she is in,
which is the majority of the film. Emma
Thompson accomplished the same feat in Kenneth Branagh’s 1993 film version;
therefore, it is mostly the role of Beatrice that deserves the credit, but this
should take nothing away from enjoying Acker’s wonderful performance.
The whole gang are practicing alcoholics with every counter
covered in empty wine glasses and frequent flask sips along with a minibar
stashed in every corner. Whedon speeds
up the ‘Sigh No More’ poem interlude transforming it into jazzy adult
contemporary. Claudio uses an iPod and
Don Predro initiates a fist bump. These
are just a few of the delicious asides, which spruce up a very well known
play. Unfortunately, Much
Ado About Nothing also comes with the Claudio, Hero (Jillian Morgese),
and Don John (Sean Maher) baggage.
This story is a hefty part of the plot line but I am always
happy to see it disappear into the background when either Benedick or Beatrice
enters the room for another round. It
may not be all Fran Kranz’s fault, but Claudio comes off as a ridiculous sop
and hams it up throughout. Much of this
comes with the character but Kranz did it no favors. At least Maher did what he could with the
always-dull Don John character and makes what Keanu Reeves did in 1993 that
much more eye-rolling.
Whedon chose to shoot the movie in black and white; I do not
know why. The lack of color takes nothing
away from the film but it does not add anything to it either. Perhaps he guessed this would be the one and
only piece he could get away with employing such a tactic. Nobody would want to see something like The
Avengers sans color. However, if
you are already a Whedon fan, you are going to see a lot of actors pop up who
have been in his work before. Multiple
cast members were in Whedon’s TV efforts “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Angel”,
and “Firefly” and more were in his films including The Cabin in the Woods
and The
Avengers.
Much Ado About Nothing is always ripe for auteurs to reimagine
just as Romeo & Juliet is there for directors interested in that
tragedy. Whedon succeeds hands down with
a very risky move setting it in today’s California; Branagh kept his version
safely in 1600’s Italy. Filmgoers reap
the rewards that instead of taking a vacation between shooting and editing The
Avengers, Whedon chose to shoot another film instead.
Directed by: Joss Whedon
Written by: William Shakespeare, Joss Whedon
Starring: Amy Acker, Alexis Deniof, Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, Reed Diamond, Fran Kranz, Jillian Morgese, Sean Maher, Spencer Treat Clark, Riki Lindhome, Ashley Johnson
Great review! I'm really impressed that he shot the whole thing in 12 days, though if you think about it I suppose there isn't really much that they need in the way of setting and costumes. The impressiveness lies in the fact that he simply continued to work instead of taking a break.
ReplyDeleteCan't say I've seen much of Whedon's stuff - somehow managed to avoid his work (not intentionally though)but I absolutely LOVE this play so will definitely be seeing this one.
I think it says a lot about the guy that he wrapped a $200 million movie and to unwind shot an indie film with his friends. What is so impressive is that he came up with all the direction on the fly. When you watch it, check out what Benedick does after he learns Beatrice loves him (the work out scene on the lawn). You're in for a real treat with this film.
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