Review of Much Ado About Nothing (1993) by Miguel S — 11 May 2010

"Much Ado About Nothing", modern masterpiece of Shakesperian cinema or Hollywood sell-out? The critics tend to say the latter, but actually I think it as one of the greatest Shakesperean films ever made.

My opinion, mind you, but this was the film that made me love Branagh and also make Much Ado my favourite Shakesperean play. Branagh exploded in Hollywood with the masterpiece "Henry V" in 1989.

Young prodigy of the British stage, Branagh revolutionised Shakespeare to a new generation and reintroduced its adaptations to film audiences in the 1990s. The second of his adaptations came in 1993. Entirely filmed during the summer in an Italian villa (mostly on exteriors), Much Ado is the quintessence of the modern formula: English stage actors plus Hollywood stars plus great settings plus lightly paced scenes, easy on the long monologues.

But Much Ado has something that seldom a movie has, it has an intrinsic magic of its own, beyond the story, beyond the acting. You can feel the bond between the cast, it passes to the audience. Maybe it was because the movie was shot in two or three months during the holidays, but you can feels that they are all connected, glad to be there, happy, a bunch of friends playing Shakespeare.

Few movies in cinema history have this intimacy between its actors. The story in itself is one of Shakespeare's comedy of errors with a few darker tones. Don Pedro (Denzel Washington) returns victorious from the wars to spend an easy time in Leonato's house.

He comes with tongue sharp Benedick (Branagh), young Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard, of "Dead Poet Society" fame and now of Dr. House's), and his half brother Keanu Reeves, the bad guy, a very wooden and untasteful performance.

Hero (a very young, pure and beautiful, out-of-drama-school Kate Beckinsale) is Leonato's daughter and catches the heart of Claudio. Her cousin is Beatrice (Emma Thompson) also sharp witted. Basically, Claudio and Hero are in love and become engaged, and Beatrice and Bennedick hate each others guts.

This is an excuse for great dialogues by Branagh and Thompson, tearing each other apart with words. But Don Pedro forges a plan to make them both fall in love with each other, and so the comedy of errors begins! The darker tones come when Reeves convinces the men that Hero is unfaithful before the weeding night, and so she is rejected by Claudio in a powerful scene at the church.

As everything paces to be set right (it is a light comedy after all), the appearance of constable Dogberry (Michael Keaton) gives the movie an extra flavour. Keaton gives his best performance ever (a performance which inspired the Jack Sparrow of Johnny Deep.

.. Keaton was first considered for this role, didn't you know?), as a man whose discourse is so stupid to be unbelievably hilarious, so out of focus that he saves the day in the most incredible fashion, giving laughs all the way through.

Ultimately, when everything is set right and the couples unite and Reeves is sent to jail, the movie ends with a brilliant technical shot, more or less 4 or 5 minutes continuous tracking, which would make very masterful directors envious.

Throughout, Patrick Doyle's music, from the main theme to the underscoring, gives the movie a powerful dynamic. It is certainly his best score ever, and one of the greats in cinema history. The acting, as in all Branagh movie, is taken sometimes too lightly, especially by the american cast.

But Branagh and Thompson shine and are the essence of the movie, and the 10 minutes of Michael Keaton are worth everytime. Light? yes. Hollywood formula? Yes. But it is a quality movie, great sunny sets, great music, great acting, and it is true to the original play.

To modern audiences, yes, but it has a quality that Baz Luhrman would never achieve in a million years (he directed that Leonardo DiCaprio Romeo crap if you don't know). One of my favourite all time movies, because it always makes me feel good, and I can watch it forever without getting bored.

The music inspires me, so the brilliant lines of the Bard. Pity they spent 10 million dollars in publicity to try to get oscar nominations and didn't get any. Should have been best movie contender no doubt.

And Keaton, if he was a more famous actor, would get without any effort the best supporting actor Oscar. Gladly, it was a great box office smash, the same cannot be said by more recent Branagh-Shakespeare movies.

Recommend vividly to everyone. It is Shakespeare, sure. But it stands on its own as a great serious comedy and, more than that, a great movie in every sense of the word.