REVIEW: Shakespeare with a twist

In a 1963 interview, Alfred Hitchcock admitted that he occasionally adapted stage plays, such as Dial M for Murder, when “the batteries [were] running dry.” Yet, there is no sign that fatigue turned Joss Whedon towards Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

On the contrary, the film seems to embody a surge of creativity. Whedon completed filming in only 12 days during a vacation from post-production work on The Avengers. The result is a joyous creation, which combines both reverence to Shakespeare’s themes and Whedon’s own unique flair.

The script presents two couples whose love certainly does not run smooth. Don Pedro (Reed Diamond) plots to unite Beatrice and Benedick (Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof), despite their bickering. Meanwhile, Don John (Sean Maher) schemes to drive apart the doe-eyed Hero and Claudio (Jillian Morgese and Fran Kranz). As these romances unfold, the characters partake in almost as much boozing as Gatsby’s guests from earlier in the summer.

All of the partying was captured at a single location: Whedon’s own home in Santa Monica, California. Whedon shoots these familiar surroundings cleverly, however, and the film never feels claustrophobic. The sets only become unconvincing when the action shifts to Inspector Dogberry’s headquarters. Nathan Fillion is delightful as the bumbling lawman, but his precinct is obviously a dining room with filing cabinets and black curtains.

The knowledge that Whedon shot the film in his own home also lends each scene a somewhat voyeuristic quality. I found myself peering around corners, for instance, to learn what type of bath towels the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer uses. Yet, the audience’s intrusive gaze is perfectly appropriate for a script that turns on eavesdropping.

Whedon’s black and white palette is similarly fitting. The technique imparts a timeless flavour that complements shifting Shakespearean dialogue into the modern era. Shakespeare could never have foreseen an interpretation of his work where plot information is conveyed via smartphone. Yet, this cast delivers the Bard’s lines effortlessly and naturally. Even four centuries later, one cannot resist smirking at Benedick’s inability to stop talking about the same woman he claims to despise.

Although there are no bloody duels in Much Ado About Nothing, Whedon’s adaptation nonetheless represents a gauntlet thrown down to other directors. With a brief shooting schedule, one location, and a cast of friends, Whedon has crafted a work of uncommon vitality. If the film was, in fact, a battery-recharging exercise, it should be thrilling to see what a fully powered Whedon produces next.