'Much Ado About Nothing:' Whedon Brings Beautiful Bard

By Leslie Combemale aka "Cinema Siren"

Fans of all things Joss Whedon clap a collective huzzah at Much Ado About Nothing being released in the Washington area this weekend. Never one to rest on his top box office laurels, risk taker Joss the boss has created a black and white guerrilla film featuring iambic pentameter. 

Whether you're a fan of Shakespeare, romance or sparkling indies or if you're just an all-around movie fan, this film tomfoolery of his turns out to be good for us all. For those of you less Shakespeare-savvy, the story centers on two couples, Beatrice and Benedict, played by Whedon alums Amy Acker and Alex Denisof, and Hero and Claudio, who are the object of an evil break-up plot that goes even more horribly wrong than expected. 

Find movie times at AMC Loews Shirlington 7 or Angelika Film Center Mosaic in Fairfax.

Dollhouse and Cabin in the Woods' Fran Kranz and newcomer Jillian Morgese play the potentially star-crossed  ingenues. In fact, almost all involved in this project except Morgese and the formidable Reed Diamond as Don Pedro, have been associated long term, on or off screen, with Joss Whedon.
 
Firefly cult hero Nathan Fillion must be included, and this of course means he is in no less than two releases this weekend. Cue the collective geek out! It would be less impressive if his lovable buffoon Dogberry wasn't such a scene stealer.   He's a moron just trying to get his man.  

The screen, however, belongs to Acker and Denisof. Acker is luminous and tack-sharp, a poignant balance of bile and yearning.  Denisof has his own blend of numbed chosen cluelessness and contemptuous flippancy.  They both portray a hidden but too thinly veiled heartbreak. 

This Much Ado interpretation is couched in a gin and chardonnay-soaked weekend at a business mogul's compound (famously filmed at Joss Whedon's own house in only 12 days). 

It is the darkest version ever played onscreen, making it arguably the most faithful interpretation, as the story borders on tragedy several times. Whedon sees this and builds his version accordingly… as Shakespeare intended. On the surface it is all wit and sass,  but Much Ado is a story with a poignancy centered on loss and shifting loyalties that makes it far deeper than it seems, and the actors show the appropriately layered nuances. 

Spoken as written, the barbs fling, and yes, they are as funny now as in the 1590s. Now as then, especially between Beatrice and Benedict, there is pain in most every ping.  

If you've seen this Shakespeare before, you know that all is well that ends well, but those who don't know the outcome will have to see it. Playing in fewer area theaters, it is worth the trip. It is the thinking man or woman's movie choice for celebrating the summer solstice.   

About the author: Leslie Combemale, "Cinema Siren", is a movie lover and aficionado in Northern Virginia. Alongside Michael Barry, she owns ArtInsights Animation and Film Art Gallery in Reston Town Center. She has a background in film and art history. She often is invited to present at conventions such as the San Diego Comic Con.  In 2013 she will moderate "Legendary Animators of Classic 60s Cartoons" at SDCC.  She previously moderated "The Art of the Hollywood Movie Poster" and is a perennial panelist on the Harry Potter Fandom panel.  Visit her art gallery online at www.artinsights.com, and see more of her reviews and interviews on www.artinsightsmagazine.com.