Film Review
Kenneth Branagh's second Shakespeare adaptation for the big screen -
after his acclaimed
Henry V
(1989) - is a wonderfully sunny affair that boasts an exceptional cast
of British and American actors, a succulent Tuscan setting and an almost religious adherence to the
Bard's original text. The film was a colossal hit, the most
successful British film of the year and a major box office triumph in
the United States, recouping its 11 million dollars budget three times
over. The most ebullient and consistently enjoyable of
Branagh's Shakespeare films,
Much
Ado About Nothing disproves the myth that Shakespeare is no longer
accessible or relevant for a modern audience. Branagh's
inspired direction and the almost flawless performances not only make
Shakespeare's text easy to understand and engage with, but also bring
out the subtle nuances of the play which tend to get glossed over in
modern productions.
Not surprisingly, the stars of the show are Kenneth Branagh and his
then-wife Emma Thompson. They make a superlative Benedick and
Beatrice, at their best in their verbal catfights. Whilst these
two are tireless funny, some of the other comic exchanges feel
painfully forced. The contributions of Michael Keaton and Ben
Elton are distinctly unfunny and soon become tedious, the one flaw in
an otherwise impeccable production. By contrast, Richard Briers,
a renowned comic actor, brings considerable charm and poignancy to his
portrayal of Leonardo, providing the play with its compassionate
core. The mix of British and American accents grates at
first but becomes hardly noticeable by the end of the first act, and
how could we not warm to Denzel Washington's good-natured Don Pedro and
Robert Sean Leonard's absurdly over-earnest Claudio? Keanu
Reeves makes a terrific Iago-like villain and Brian Blessed is allowed
to put his lungs to good use, demolishing most of the set as he does
so. With such juicy performances and Branagh's commitment to stay
as faithful to the original text as possible make this one of the most
amiable film adaptations of a Shakespearean play. Whilst the
purists will doubtless gibe at is populist tone,
Much Ado About Nothing is a very creditable
attempt to bring Shakespeare to the masses and proves that the Bard of
Avon is as relevant today as he was in the Elizabethan age.
© James Travers 2011
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
In Sicily, the nobleman Don Pedro receives a hero's welcome from
Leonardo, the Governor of Messina, having thwarted an uprising led by
Don John, his bastard half-brother. Don Pedro's closest ally
Claudio reveals his love for Leonardo's youngest daughter Hero and a
marriage is swiftly arranged. Meanwhile, Don Pedro's other
companion in arms, Benedick, resumes his battle of words and wit with
Leonardo's niece, Beatrice. Don Pedro and Claudio suspect that
Benedick and Beatrice are secretly in love and trick them into
revealing their feelings for one another. Intent on revenge, Don
John plays a trick of a more cruel kind, and dupes Claudio into
thinking that Hero has been unfaithful to him. On the wedding
day, Claudio rejects his bride-to-be, and Hero is heart-broken.
Outraged by this turn of events, Beatrice asks Benedick to prove his
love for her by slaying the deceived Claudio...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.