‘Much Ado About Nothing’

Put yourself in the shoes of Joss Whedon for a moment. You’ve just finished making “The Avengers,” a critical and box office success that redefined the superhero genre and won over audiences everywhere. What’s your next move?

Odds are a low budget, black and white adaptation of a Shakespearean comedy is not on your list. Yet, Whedon made “Much Ado About Nothing” work.

The story begins when Leonato (Clark Gregg, “The Avengers”) welcomes into his home the prince Don Pedro (Reed Diamond, “Spider-Man 2”), his bodyguards Claudio (Fran Kranz, “The Cabin in the Woods”) and Benedick (Alexis Denisof, “The Avengers”), the prince’s villainous brother Don John (Sean Maher, “Serenity”) and his followers. While Claudio falls for Leonato’s daughter Hero (Jillian Morgese in her film debut), Benedick spars with Hero’s cousin Beatrice (Amy Acker, “The Cabin in the Woods”). To say that they don’t get along is an understatement. Nonetheless, Don Pedro, Leonato and the newly engaged Claudio and Hero conspire to “undertake one of Hercules’ labours” and trick Benedick and Beatrice into thinking that one loves the other.

But Don John and his followers set out to wreck Hero and Claudio’s wedding before it begins. It’s up to the dim-witted Dogberry (Nathan Fillion, “Serenity”) and his inspectors to set things right.

Before you ask, yes, the entire film is in the classic Shakespearean dialogue. While on a normal Shakespeare film, that would be cause to head for the hills, Whedon makes it work here. The simplicity of the film’s setting — the entire film was shot at Whedon’s house — contrasts the dialogue and yet coexists with it rather nicely. The setting has been modernized, which leads to some of the best jokes in the film. But the fact that these people are speaking in grand, articulated words adds an interesting dynamic to the proceedings.

But you’re not seeing this film for the words. You’re seeing the film for the performances. Doing a Shakespearean production is every actor’s dream and this cast lives up to it. As evident by the cast’s resume, the majority of the actors are Joss Whedon regulars, so fans of the Whedonverse will go nuts seeing their heroes churning out some of the best performances of their careers.

Highlights include Fillion as Dogberry, who provides a good chunk of the film’s humor in a real and honest way, Denisof as Benedick, who goes from a grumpy curmudgeon to a hopeless romantic truthfully and Acker as Beatrice, who steals the show with her heart-wrenching monologue at the end of the second act. After watching that, it’s near unthinkable how she didn’t get an Oscar nod.

“Much Ado About Nothing” is a smart and sophisticated adaptation that would’ve made Shakespeare himself proud. It’s fun, sexy and a great Valentine’s Day flick.

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