Friday, October 9, 2015

Much Ado about Nothing (1993, PG-13)

Over the past few years, I’ve made a steady dent in Shakespeare’s body of work, and Much Ado about Nothing is my favorite of the comedies I’ve read so far.  It’s so sharp and funny, it has such excellent characters in Beatrice and Benedick, and the dialogue is to die for.  This adaptation is, I’d say, rightfully regarded as the definitive one, and my Shakespearean repertoire is decidedly fuller now that I’ve seen it.

Standard Much Ado about Nothing plot description:  three jovial wits return from the wars and are invited into the home of a prominent Sicilian.  Young Claudio is instantly taken by Hero, the lovely, demure daughter of the house, and self-declared bachelor Benedick protests too much in his “hatred” for Hero’s spirited, quick-tongued cousin Beatrice.  It’s a play of interference in love.  While Benedick and Beatrice’s friends conspire to throw the love/hate pair together, the piece’s villain seeks to pollute Claudio and Hero’s prospective happiness.

As with any adaptation, casting is key, and this film delivers big time.  Kenneth Branagh pulls triple duty, providing the direction, the script, and the role of Benedick.  He’s as excellent as ever, but I think my experience with The Hollow Crown and other adaptations are broadening my horizons, because he’s no longer the be-all end-all of Shakespearian performers for me.  It sounds like faint praise, but it’s no slight to Branagh – it’s just a celebration of having even more actors to love for their Shakespeare, like Ben Whishaw and Tom Hiddleston.  And Emma Thompson is stunning as Beatrice.  Sparkling with wit, both strong and playful as the situation requires, and all-around amazing.  If I were romantic, I’d probably be in love with her.  Other highlights include Denzel Washington, who is every inch the royal Don Pedro, a very young Robert Sean Leonard (Wilson from House) as Claudio, and a kooky-but-fun Michael Keaton as comic constable Dogberry.  Imelda Staunton and Phyllida Law are also in the film, but their roles are fairly small. 

Less successful is Keanu Reeves as Don John – let’s just say it doesn’t work and leave it at that.  And Kate Beckinsale’s Hero… She’s fine in the part, sweet and beautiful, everything Hero should be.  I have no complaints with her performance.  However, the movie is really striking in showing how limited her role really is.  I can’t remember the exact time, but I know it was at least 15 minutes before she had a scripted line, despite being present onscreen for much of that time.  Although the film obviously cuts stuff for time, her screentime is pretty proportional to her stage time.  It’s crazy how little she actually gets to do, which, as a commentary on the “perfect woman” of Elizabethan society, is interesting.  It’s no wonder Benedick and Beatrice pull the play out from under Claudio and Hero, and it’s clear which pair Shakespeare is more invested in.

The adaptation as a whole is excellent.  I especially like the opening of the masque, and the culling scenes with both Benedick and Beatrice are a lot of fun.  If I have a complaint, it’s that I wish the dirty jokes were more plainly delivered as such, because it’s always so much truer when the naughty bits are given their due, particularly in the comedies.

Warnings

Sexual content (including brief incidental nudity,) drinking, and thematic elements.

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