Much Ado About Nothing

Yesterday I had the immense pleasure of catching the New England premiere of Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing. Part of the Boston Independent Film Festival, the screening was attended by an enthusiastic crowd and two very special guests: Fran Krantz (Dollhouse, Cabin in the Woods, and this film's Claudio) and Jillian Morgese (an extra in The Avengers whose Skype audition led to her casting as Krantz's love interest, Hero).

What a misnomer. A veritable who's who of Whedon productions, this is easily Much Ado about something. Whedon's film is decidedly fresh, fast-paced, modern, witty, and of course, hilarious. I come to the Whedonverse as a fan of Firefly, Serenity, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and The Avengers, but many if not most of his idolators have been around through the days of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the spinoff series, Angel. Most recently, Whedon brought Dollhouse to life for FOX television, and last summer saw the wide release of his Cabin in the Woods. Comedy, tragedy, history - it's all there, just like in the Bard's cannon. It should come as no surprise that Whedon is such a fan of Billy Shakespeare, and yet, for many it does. 

Shakespeare's plays were written to be performed by particular theatre companies, and there is certainly a repertory company for Whedon projects. It's also a passion project for Whedon, whose play-reading-cum-brunch-sessions are a well-known hobby. To celebrate their twentieth wedding anniversary, Whedon's wife Kai Cole suggested making use of his two-week hiatus from The Avengers to film his very own Shakespeare adaptation at their home - a home Cole designed - and the result is a lovingly crafted, crowd-pleasing event. 

For those who don't know, Much Ado is one of Shakespeare's most beloved comedies, with the most sparkling wit (much discussed in the play). The Prince (Reed Diamond) and his company are staying on the Leonato's estate, where love is in bloom. Not only does Count Claudio fancy Leonato's daughter Hero, but there's something of a spark between Benedick (Alexis Denisof) and Leonato's niece Beatrice (Amy Acker). Of course, as the Bard has said elsewhere, the course of true love never did run smooth; the Prince's brother Don John (Sean Maher) would foil any of his brother's plans, including those meant to aid others in the pursuit of love. Masquerade, subterfuge, mistaken identity, pride, and alcohol all play their part in the ebb and flow of events. 

While Kenneth Branagh's 1993 film adaptation has by all accounts been the standard to which all other productions are held, I think it's time the king passed on the crown. An adaptation without the tripe of high school or the burden of  - and this may not be a word - colloquializing the impeccable wit, there's finally an entertaining, engaging adaptation that can be used as an educational reference. No, Conrad isn't traditionally played by a woman (Riki Lindhome), but damn, it works. Whedon makes great use of irony, sarcasm, physical humor, and his camera to emphasize the right jokes, downplay the language and play up the actions. I could go on for days about the scenes and moments I love most, but the fact remains that Whedon has a knack for casting, adapting, directing, and editing - the man has a gift for film.

Highlights:
- Clark Gregg. I love Clark Gregg, and his Leonato is fun, three-dimensional, and interesting. Thank you, CG.
- Alexis Denisof. Hilarious, brilliant physicality, and such a marvelous voice.
- Amy Acker! Wow! Really making Beatrice her own, and so different from Emma Thompson's, a genuine, clever woman, whose physical comedy is entirely unexpected.
- Nathan Fillion & Tom Lenk. Dogberry and Verges can be tedious, indeed, but these guys make it too funny to hate. I'm linking to a great interview below, but Clark Gregg is so right when he says of Dogberry: "This guy is going to straighten things out with about seven brain cells to do it. It’s hard not to root for that."
- Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney of BriTANick as First and Second Watchmen. I knew I recognized those guys! Check out their videos. "The Coach," with Joss Whedon, is linked below.
- Maurissa Tancharoen singing "Sigh No More" at the revelries! Whedon's sister-in-law also performed in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.

Bonus links:
- SXSW Interviews: Joss Whedon & 'Much Ado About Nothing' Cast Talk Shakespeare
- "The Coach," via BriTANick
- The Much Ado Party Bus Videos, via Entertainment Weekly, via Brian McElhaney's twitter, via IMDB. Yay internetz!
- For Whedon Fans: Can you name the actors/actresses who appear in multiple Joss Whedon shows? via Sporcle.com