Much Ado About Nothing, 2012.
Directed by Joss Whedon.
Starring Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, Sean Mager, Fran Kranz, and Jillian Morgese.
SYNOPSIS:
William Shakespear’s romantic comedy about two people who don’t believe in love.
Much Ado About Nothing’s release date is a masterstroke of scheduling in two respects. Firstly, and most cheekily, is that it’s directed by Joss Whedon, the man behind Marvel’s Avengers Assemble. It just so happened to appear in cinemas on the same day as DC’s Man of Steel. Two comic book arch-business-rivals kind of pitted against each other. Someone at distribution headquarters is having themselves a well-earned chuckle.
Secondly, it’s the perfect antidote to that slightly bigger, red and blue film. Those not fancying the CGI-heavy, Zimmer-score-pounding, action-packed Superman movie can instead choose its polar opposite. A black and white Shakespeare adaptation.
The text is arguably Shakespeare’s most famous comedy. The main plot is one of those “OH MY GOD WE ONLY JUST MET BUT I AM TOTALLY BESOTTED WITH YOU – LET’S GET MARRIED IN THREE DAYS” kind of love stories between a Prince’s squire, Claudio (Fran Kranz), and a princess, Hero (Jillian Morgese). The development of their relationship occurs too quickly for modern tastes, but a melodramatic spanner is later thrown into their works for mileage.
The film’s cynical couple, Beatrice (Amy Acker) and Benedick (Alexis Denisof), former lovers who despise romance, are far more endearing. “Shall I never see a bachelor of three score again?” mourns Benedick as Claudio falls for Hero, while Beatrice taunts every man that bothers her. Through a bit of ol’Shakespearean deceit, the two slowly reveal their own feelings, with a maturer pace to the young lovers, and thus more rewarding.
Acker and Denisof play their roles incredibly well, as does the entire cast. The Shakespearean language almost acts as a mask – or, more appropriately, an enhancer – of their talents. Much like how an actor in a foreign film sounds far more accomplished, as the viewer doesn’t know where the stresses and inflections are being placed, Bill’s best makes great actors appear even better.
In fact, after a while, you forget you’re listening to Shakespearean dialogue at all, much like how you eventually stop noticing subtitles in those aforementioned foreign films. Or the fact that Much Ado is shot entirely in black and white. You laugh at the right points (Nathan Fillion’s deadpan Dogberry deserves particular mention), you get sad at the right points. Who would have thought? This Shakespeare guy’s pretty good. And so’s Whedon.
He filmed Much Ado in the two weeks following Avengers Assemble’s post-production. To relax, he invited his most trusted actor friends to his house, and shot the entire adaptation in a fortnight.
The conditions of its making feel woven into every frame. Upon the film’s final scenes, you feel as though you’ve spent a much needed long weekend with the cast. The effortless direction and genuine warmth between characters goes far beyond any honed skill or technique. Much Ado is clearly the product of friends hanging out.
Flickering Myth Rating: Film ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★
Oliver Davis is one of Flickering Myth’s co-editors. You can follow him on Twitter @OliDavis.
Originally published June 18, 2013. Updated November 28, 2022.
