Review: Much Ado About Nothing

Release Date:  June 7, 2013 (DC Market June 21, 2013)

Running Time: 107 minutes
Starring: Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg

Who to see it with: A Shakespeare or Joss Whedon fan.

David:

Every once in a while, a movie comes along that is so refreshing and clever that you just have to enjoy it. Joss Whedon's black and white adaptation of Shakespeare's classic play is just amazing. I absolutely loved this movie. Since it's Shakespeare, the writing is going to be clever. His screenplays have a timeless quality with clever word play and classic plots. Joss Whedon's adaptation chose not to change the dialog and built on this solid writing, adapting the characters and aesthetics to the present. Leaving the dialogue as is grounds the movie in its Shakespearean roots. Yet, the play is set in a beautiful suburban mansion, everyone wears suits, modern touches are added hear and there, and everything about the film seems fresh. 

The cast is simply superb. Every character is well played and embrace their roles. Many of the performers built on the characters and added their own clever quirks. A look here, a ridiculous mustache or tick there, everyone made their performance their own. I imagine many of them have been performing this play for years, and this familiarity might help explain how a 12-day shoot could amount to such quality performances. And they are great performances. One fear of using the original script is that it might be difficult to follow in modern times. And although there are pieces of dialog delivered a little fast for my taste, for the most part it is understandable and very funny. Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing is a fresh take on this Shakespearean classic. It keeps the heart of the play while updating the aesthetics to the modern era. It is something that should not be missed. 

See it.