Short Round: Much Ado About Nothing (2013) ****/*****
When it was announced that Joss Whedon had made an adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy of manners and misunderstandings, Much Ado About Nothing, it came as something of a surprise to the film aficionado community. That’s because Whedon’s previous film, Marvel Studios’ The Avengers, was one of the biggest, highest-profile, most money-making movies of all time, and nobody even knew that Whedon had signed any deals to make another movie. How did this happen? It happened because Much Ado was made on an ultra-low budget, it was shot at Whedon’s own home, and its cast is made up entirely of amazingly talented Whedon minions who have worked with him before and became loyal to him on account of the great material he always provides. It was something of a guerrilla project.
That’s why the best thing about Much Ado is that you go into it willing to forgive it of a little bit of shoddiness — given that it was something of an on-the-fly lark — but when all is said and done it doesn’t need to be allowed any leeway whatsoever. It’s shot rather stylishly in black and white and with an eye for photography that always finds an interesting perspective to look at things from, the adapted screenplay moves briskly and is funny and engaging all the way through, and all of the performances from Whedon’s usual band of players are as top-notch as you would expect.
Honestly, the entire thing seems to have been put together as a thesis from Whedon on why Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker (who play reluctant romantics Benedick and Beatrice) should be gigantic movie stars, and on that level more than any other it shines as a rousing success. Denisof and Acker are actors who are so talented, so charming, so engaging, that it’s a damned shame they aren’t household names who are constantly landing meaty roles. They aren’t all the film has to offer, either. In addition to their star-making performances, Much Ado also features eye-catching second-tier character work from actors like Clark Gregg, Fran Cranz, and Jillian Morgese, who each make a great case for their own underappreciated status in the entertainment industry. And it even features a too-entertaining-for-its-own-good slapstick routine from Nathan Fillion and Tom Lenk, who are delightful as a pair of bumbling policemen. Basically, Much Ado is a chance to watch a group of super-talented people getting together and having fun being creative, and taking it in feels like wrapping yourself up in a cinematic security blanket while taking sips off of a steaming mug of hilarity. Highest recommendations you make time for it as soon as possible.
