Movie Review - Much Ado About Nothing

We watched Joss Whedon's 2012 version on Thursday 4/23, the Bard's 451st birthday.

Overall, I thought it was really well done and the actors who portrayed Benedick and Beatrice were excellent.  There were many clever and funny things done very well, especially the modern twist on the nightwatchmen cum security guards with their computers and security cameras.  I also liked it when instead of having the song sung by Balthasar, they just had someone play music from their ipod.   And I also liked when they showed Don John getting arrested via video on their phone.

Stuff I didn't like:  the opening is of a man who seems to have just had relations with a woman and seems very down about it, leaves her as she pretends to lie there asleep.  It has no connection whatsoever with the story at all.   It is completely thrown in there to 'hollywoodize' the story.  I felt like the director didn't trust modern audiences to get into the story without putting a little modern existential twist on things. Blah.  Also they made the minor character, Conrade, a sexy blonde woman so they could show soft porn scenes of Don John climbing on her.  It was completely unnecessary and forced and again, the director doesn't trust the audience enough so he's got to stick some sex scene in to hold their jaded and prurient interests.

I have to say also that though I know it is supposed to show how timeless Shakespeare is, the idea of filming the story in a modern day house with modern dress while at times is clever, was also a little forced.  And frankly I think whenever I see a production that tries to update Shakespeare it does seem a little forced to me.  Just trying a bit too hard.

It must be weird for Hollywood to do this sort of thing because the whole story turns on Hero's purity.  So the scene where Claudio accuses Hero of being unchaste at their wedding ceremony just doesn't work.  Even Sean said:  "this is what makes this not work in a modern setting."  And I think he's right.  Although I guess even in Hollywood someone having an affair with another person on the night before their wedding might be a little much.

One thing that I had forgotten how much I appreciated in this play, is the little twist that Shakespeare throws in with Dogberry.  How Dogberry (the ass) gets to the truth of the scandal and saves the day while the the two noblemen, who are recent war heroes, have been blinded by a ruse.  Dogberry may be of low birth and clownish speech,  but it is Claudio and to some extent Don Pedro, who are the real dupes.

Some of the dialogue between Beatrice and Benedick reminded me of Pride and Prejudice.  I think Jane Austen certainly must have been influenced by Shakespeare's sparring lovers, especially in her portrayal  Elizabeth's cutting wit.

Anyway, I did enjoy the movie and I think it does show that plain old Americans can do Shakespeare in their flat American accents and things still come off pretty well!