Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing

[Avisute]

This is the Q&A we attended

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/much-ad ... denisof-qa

[Beate]

I have mixed feelings about this. This is one of Shakespeare's better comedies (I love it to bits) and his writing is just excellent so Whedon obviously can't take credit for that. From the two couples, Benedick and Beatrice have always stood out as the more interesting, fierier couple who gets all the best lines, and they are both very good here. Hero and Claudio have always been weaker, underdeveloped characters, and the whole story of Hero being condemned for her alleged infidelity is a bit archaic.

Whedon succeeds in making the whole story very modern and accessible. While he keeps Shakespeare's verse (which is good) he manages to have it spoken in a very casual, unaffected way. Even he can't get around the "Hero has to be a virgin" thing though (although there is a scene that alleges that Benedick and Beatrice have been lovers before?).

I heard that he filmed it entirely in his own house, and if that is true, he has one heck of a beautiful house and gardens.

My main bugbear is his decision to film it entirely in black and white. For me that does not make it modern, it seems like a throwback to the 50s where all films were in black and white.
Shakespeare is full of love and wit, humour and tragedy and it needs colour, it really does. While the 1993 film with Thompson and Brannagh as Beatrice and Benedick is sometimes a bit pompously spoken, it provides a riot of colour and singing and dancing and somehow feels more true to how Shakespeare meant it.

It is a very good adaptation and I had a lump in my throat at the end but I am not sure I would want to watch it again or indeed as many times as I have watched the 1993 version.

But it was lovely to see Agent Coulson again!

7.5/10

[tsoiboy]

Saw this at Odeon Greenwich.

I am not really familiar with this Shakespeare's play but I really enjoyed it tonight. After hearing good reviews already I was worried I was going to be disappointed. I need not have worried and was really entertained. It made the trouble to getting to Greenwich all the more worth while.

9/10

[Diane65]

Absolutely loved it, just brilliant 10/10

[distortthecode]

I heard that he filmed it entirely in his own house, and if that is true, he has one heck of a beautiful house and gardens.

My main bugbear is his decision to film it entirely in black and white. For me that does not make it modern, it seems like a throwback to the 50s where all films were in black and white.
Shakespeare is full of love and wit, humour and tragedy and it needs colour, it really does. While the 1993 film with Thompson and Brannagh as Beatrice and Benedick is sometimes a bit pompously spoken, it provides a riot of colour and singing and dancing and somehow feels more true to how Shakespeare meant it.

Yeah the whole thing was filmed in his house, natural lighting, all done to keep costs down as this was more a project of love. Think in total it was filmed in 12 days to keep it as organic as possible.

The black and white was, I believe, to aid in keeping costs down and it helps to hide a multitude of sins. Personally, I think the black and white fits it well and tonally worked well with what they were doing.

[RAZORBACK]

Went to see this last night and have to admit I struggled with it for the first thirty or so minutes .

However, once the scheme to get Beatrice & Benedick together kicked in I then found watching this to be a far more positive experience .

I thought Alexis Denisof was really good as Benedict, both Nathan Fillion & Tom Lenk were very entertaining indeed and pretty much everyone else at the very least produced some pretty solid performances.

Overall I preferred this to Kenneth Branagh's adaptation and although most things Shakespeare aren't really my thing I still think this deserves a solid 7/10 from me...

[rawsalsa]

I have mixed feelings about this. This is one of Shakespeare's better comedies (I love it to bits) and his writing is just excellent so Whedon obviously can't take credit for that. From the two couples, Benedick and Beatrice have always stood out as the more interesting, fierier couple who gets all the best lines, and they are both very good here. Hero and Claudio have always been weaker, underdeveloped characters, and the whole story of Hero being condemned for her alleged infidelity is a bit archaic.

Whedon succeeds in making the whole story very modern and accessible. While he keeps Shakespeare's verse (which is good) he manages to have it spoken in a very casual, unaffected way. Even he can't get around the "Hero has to be a virgin" thing though (although there is a scene that alleges that Benedick and Beatrice have been lovers before?).

I heard that he filmed it entirely in his own house, and if that is true, he has one heck of a beautiful house and gardens.

My main bugbear is his decision to film it entirely in black and white. For me that does not make it modern, it seems like a throwback to the 50s where all films were in black and white.
Shakespeare is full of love and wit, humour and tragedy and it needs colour, it really does. While the 1993 film with Thompson and Brannagh as Beatrice and Benedick is sometimes a bit pompously spoken, it provides a riot of colour and singing and dancing and somehow feels more true to how Shakespeare meant it.

It is a very good adaptation and I had a lump in my throat at the end but I am not sure I would want to watch it again or indeed as many times as I have watched the 1993 version.
7.5/10

I was just about to write a review, however I couldn't agree with yours more...hence the quote.
I've seen many stage & screen versions of this play and really enjoy it, however I was rather annoyed that they filmed it in Black & White - wholly unnecessary & did not add to this production. Although I enjoyed this version, Kenneth Branagh's 1993 version is far superior & I would give it 9/10. This version, mainly because of the above I would give 6.5/10.

[Celini]

I did not know the play and it took me a good 20 minutes to get accustomed to the language (always had this problem with Shakespeare's), but my did I enjoy it!
Found it absolutely brilliant on all fronts.

9.5/10

(did anybody else notice a small frame of Gandalf on one of the wall?)

[Razzamatazzur]

I truly loved this version. Much Ado is one of Shakespeare's more familiar plays to me and as a fan of Joss I was not disappointed. I loved the black and white and the casting was great. Fillion was superb and I'm not gonna lie, Denisof made me swoon (and laugh). 10/10.

[valda]

I saw this on Saturday with a bit of a hangover, so not the ideal way for B&W Shakespeare, I did drift off a few times .

I find myself thinking about it quite a few times over the last few days, and can't wait to p*rchase a copy. I think the B&W seemed to make it more hip and stylish IMO. PLus the fact that the cast have all worked with Wheedon and many, with each other before, made it seem like a family occassion and everything just danced along at a great pace.


JW said, that not only was it his house, but his wife designed it and the the whole film was shot in a 12 day period whilst editing Avengers Assemble!
8/10