Much Ado about Nothing (1993)

Cast, Etc.
Dir. Kenneth Branagh, Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Robert Sean Leonard, Richard Briers, Kate Beckinsale, Keanu Reeves, Michael Keaton, score by Patrik Doyle, rated PG-13, 1993

Synopsis
Two couples fall in love.

Review
Kenneth Branagh makes Shakespeare accessible. Too often we can only read the plays when they were written to be performed and experienced. It is this focus on performance that Branagh brings to the screen in his myriad interpretations of the plays so that we can see the characters much better than simple lines on a page. Much Ado about Nothing is one of Shakespeare's better known comedies; as such, it is rather like his other comedies in that there is quick wit and repartee, mistaken identity, and convuluted plots, through good intentions, that just generally mess things up. The film begins with the military party of Don Pedro (Washington) arriving at the villa home of Leonato (Briers), after which they are invited to stay a while. Claudio (Leonard) falls in love with Leonato's daughter, Hero (Beckinsale, in an early role), but doesn't know how to woo her. Don Pedro offers to woo her for the young man and does, with a wedding set pretty darned soon afterward. Don Pedro's evil brother, Don John (Reeves), doesn't like that and, being a villain, goes about messing things up. He gets his henchman to make love to Hero's handmaiden in Hero's window late one night; Claudio, Don John, and Don Pedro observe this and believe Hero has been unfaithful. On the wedding day, Claudio denounces Hero for being a strumpet and storms off, thinking Hero has died of shame. Doesn't really sound like a comedy, but it's the interaction and plot surrounding two other characters, Benedick (Branagh), one of Don Pedro's officers, and Beatrice (Thompson), Leonato's niece and Hero's cousin, that is really the focus here. These two are the quick-witted, sharp-tongued antagonists to each other who, through a funny plot by everyone else to get them together, come to fall in love. What follows is an incredibly funny and well adaptation of the play. Branagh and Thompson do superb jobs in bringing life to their respective characters of lifelong bachelors and to the dialogue, really making the barbs and insults come to life. The supporting cast is very good, except for Reeves. Granted, his character doesn't have a lot of screen time or much to do, but he's pretty wooden. The Italian scenery is very nice and the parties and merrymaking are actually somewhat believable. It ends well, so have no worries, though if you've read the play, you already know that.

Highlights
Branagh and Thompson; Keaton as the constable-hilarious!; scenery;

Rating
I give this film a sparkling wine rating; it's light, airy, fun to watch, and ends on a high note. As a Shakespeare-play-made-into-a-film, it's very good. The villain of Don John is adequate to the menial job of fouling up a wedding, but doesn't really do much else. The score by Doyle (a Branagh favorite) is pretty good.