Republished from our coverage of this year’s South by South West festival.
Much has been made about Joss Whedon’s ability to bring a cast together and let them shine with crackling dialogue over the course of his storied career in television and film. From Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Firefly, all leading up to his triumphant debut of sorts with last year’s The Avengers, Whedon has consistently proven himself to be more than just a capable writer, but a director with a great eye for both the intimate and epic.
His skills with casting and directing have never been more crucial, nor more apparent, than in his zero-budget adaptation of William Shakespeare’s classic comedy, Much Ado About Nothing. Shot in black and white over a 12 day period during post-production on The Avengers, Whedon gathered a cast of regulars from his various shows and films to act out the Bard’s play in his own residence, and the result is an absolutely delightful screwball comedy that brings out the best in everyone involved.
The plot is simple. A wealthy lord hosts another’s family over a weekend, and love is in the air. Two couples are being brought together, one who are crazy for each other, the others cannot stand each other. But with the help of the rest of the cast, they will be brought together, even if they have to move heaven and earth to do it.
What really shines here is Whedon’s ability to use all of the language from the play in a modern setting without it ever feeling out of place. Even if we don’t catch every single word the characters say, we understand what they are saying. Obviously, this is all Shakespeare’s genius, but as with theatre, it takes a truly talented director to make the words sing like they do here. The blocking of each scene is key, and while it’s unclear how much of the physical comedy is improvised or directed, it’s certainly a sign of directorial prowess to get that kind of performance out of the cast.
It’s remarkable, really, how well it all works, when one considers just how little time was spent actually shooting the film. But that’s the mark of something special. It just works on every level. I can’t recall the last time I laughed so hard and so consistently throughout a film, especially one without a single ironic bone in its body. It’s refreshing to see earnestness and pure heart win out over cynicism, irony, and juvenile humor in today’s world, and I can’t imagine anyone walking away from Whedon’s film without a huge, goofy smile on their face.
Grade: B+
Much Ado About Nothing is now out in select cities across the country.
