Movies: Much Ado About Nothing

(Drivebycuriosity) - It seems William Shakespeare found the square of the circle. The playwright wrote brilliant analyses about all kind of human relationships. But he didn`t present them as academic studies. Instead the Renaissance author produced crowd pleasers for a mass audience which yet had very simple tastes in the 16th century. Hence his plays are still highly fashionable and an infinite source for Hollywood movies.

"Much Ado About Nothing" is the newest Hollywood incarnation of those masterpieces (imdb). According to Wikipedia, director Joss Whedon took just 12 days to shoot the entire film in his Californian home! (wikipedia)

The flick is entirely in black and white. Cinematographer Jay Hunter photographed it stylishly, but the black and white compositions by his  colleague Roger Deakins in "The Man Who Wasn't There" (Coen Brothers ) impressed me much more. It looks like that Whedon, who is known from the teenage TV like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", realized one of his hobby ideas in a very economical way.

But anyway, the filmmaker delivered an amusing adaption of the old master´s play. Whedon transferred the comedy to contemporary California (represented by his home) and focuses on two love couples who both are influenced heavily by scheming of friends & foes.  The behavior of all participants seems be naive and childish but this is a concession to Shakespeare´s original rural audience. Whedon garnished the play with some slapstick and a bit eroticism.

Even that the actors had to behave like spoiled children, they did it in a very charming way. Especially Amy Acker,  known as Harold`s nemesis in "Person of Interest", was delicious.

Whedon`s home movie is an acceptable pastime thanks to Shakespeare´s genius and the exquisite acting cast.