Much Ado About Nothing DVD review
By Alexandra Heilbron on October 10, 2013 | 3 Comments
The career of Joss Whedon is one that escapes boundaries and classification. From acclaimed television series’ Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly to the third-highest grossing film of all time with The Avengers, Whedon consistently exhibits an innate ability to successfully tackle diverse genres and mediums. This year, he has broken the mold again with his adaptation of William Shakespeare’s esteemed comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Shot over the span of 12 days at Whedon’s home, the comedy centers around two pairs of romantic couples as they traverse the obstacles of love. Whedon’s setting is contemporary, but he uses the original Shakespeare text, making it the first feature film to do so since Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 modern-day adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.
However, instead of Luhrmann’s extravagant visuals, Whedon adopts a simplistic approach. He shoots in black and white, which succeeds in emphasizing the dialogue and aptly expresses the darker themes that permeate the comedy. The film takes place on an estate and briefly at a police station, but the imagery manages to diversify the setting, aided by the use of natural light. This combination of natural lighting and dark tones allows the narrative to be fully formed in its exploration of character types and themes of deception and pride.
The film features a cast that has predominately worked with Whedon before, including Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Fran Kranz, Clark Gregg and Nathan Fillion. Their familiarity with each other – which was helped by regular Shakespeare readings at Whedon’s house – lends itself to a palpable chemistry between the characters. None more so than leads Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof, who tellingly explore the manic love that permeates Beatrice and Benedick. Clark Gregg also makes an impressive turn as the noble father Leonato, relaying Shakespeare’s prose with nonchalance and authority.
Gregg, best known as Agent Coulson from the Marvel cinematic universe, exhibits a natural ability to switch from undulated joy to sudden angst as the father of Hero, played by Jillian Morgese. The film also features a hilarious turn from Nathan Fillion, who plays the incompetent police constable Dogberry alongside his right-hand man Verges, played by Tom Lenk. These elements of playful acting and simplistic imagery further establish the films tone, which at times treads the line between comedy and tragedy.
Ultimately, Whedon’s faithful adaptation is a refreshing visualization of Shakespeare’s play that elevates the text through exploration and interpretation, while still presenting itself in an entertaining and accessible way. The DVD features a making of segment that delves into Whedon’s process of bringing Shakespeare’s classic onto the big screen and also includes a short documentary entitled “Bus Ado About Nothing.” It chronicles the 20-hour bus ride the cast and crew took from Los Angeles to Austin, Texas for the premiere of Much Ado About Nothing at the South by Southwest Film Festival. It would prove a fruitful journey for Whedon and, more pertinently, William Shakespeare. ~Raj-Kabir Birk
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