Much Ado About Nothing (Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson)
Kenneth Branagh must continue to produce film versions of William Shakespeare's works, if only because he is simply the best at presenting and performing them. Few understand the nuances of the language like he does, and few are able to capture the magic of the Bard's greatest tragedies and comedies. Take 1993's Much Ado About Nothing, for example. Even if the casual viewer has neither read the play nor seen a theatrical production before, they are still bound to experience the delight and merriment at play. It's not easy to make this material accessible, but it seems that way in Branagh's adept hands.
Branagh himself stars as Benedick, a stubborn man who swears Cupid's arrows will never knick his heart. So does Beatrice (Emma Thompson), a self-professed cynic who revels in trading quips with Benedick. They seem to hate each other, so it is inevitable that sooner or later they will realize they are in love with each other. Another couple, Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard) and Hero (Kate Beckinsdale), believe they are bound for wedded bliss but their plans are interrupted by a ruse created by the dastardly Don John (Keanu Reeves, who broods well enough to relinquish his surfer persona to the character). Meanwhile, Don Pedro (Denzel Washington in an interesting bit of casting) has returned from the war to watch the shenanigans ensue. A mumbling Michael Keaton plays the fop Dogberry with sufficient silliness. All the players seem to share a common goal and take their own bits of screen time without upstaging each other too much.
Much Ado About Nothing is all about lightness, romance, and frivolity, but above all, it's also a comedy and as both performer and director, Branagh knows it. There are some great laughs in the piece, particularly in a garden scene when Claudio, Don Pedro and Leonato (Brian Blessed) try to egg the unsuspecting Benedick on, or when Dogberry clops along in a Monty Python-esque manner, simulating the sound of non-existent horses. Great stuff.
The most crucial choice made with this sparkling production is the elimination of unnecessary scenes and dialogue. The pace moves briskly but the actors are awarded the necessary time to savour and deliver their thoughts with ease and joy. Indeed, there is much to celebrate with this adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing.
