And I was there to see a movie. So, you know, movies still are the only interesting thing I really do. Ho hey.
It was Joss Whedon's latest low-budget offering, a literal home movie - it was filmed in his house in Santa Monica over the twelve days between the end of filming Avengers Assemble and the post-production. Filmed in black and white, and featuring a cast composed almost entirely of Whedon's own friends and co-workers, it's a modern take on Shakespeare's classic, Much Ado About Nothing.
So, let's start with the story. I hadn't read, seen or thought about Much Ado for a few years before this came out, so I was a little hazy on the story myself, but it goes a little like this: Don Pedro returns victorious from battle, along with Benedick and Claudio, to the house of Leonato, an old friend, and his daughter and niece, the fair Hero and Beatrice, respectively. Claudio falls in love with Hero, and Don Pedro proceeds to woo her in his name. The morning after their return - and a night of heavy drinking and partying - Leonato is only too happy for Claudio to marry his daughter. And now that the young couple is happy, the gang focus their attention on re-kindling the flames of passion between Benedick and Beatrice...
Standing in the way of our protagonists and the two potential happy couples, however, is Sean Maher's charismatic and understated Don John. Returning with Don Pedro - in modern style, stepping from a car and bound by a cable tie - and backed up by his cronies Conrade and Borachio, he plans to slander Hero's good name and stop the wedding. With only an inept police force to uncover the scandal, will there be a happy ending?
Shakespeare purists will probably cry out, deploring Whedon's decision to make Conrade female, possibly also his decision to update it's setting, but at the end of the day it's Shakespeare done well. There are several moments where I had to resist the urge to laugh out loud - Alexis Denisof's alpha male attempts to "subtly" woo an unsuspecting Beatrice as Benedick spring to mind - and much of the comedy springs from the almost spontaneous nature of much of the performance. There were many parts which were improvised by the cast - Nathan Fillion's Dogberry and Tom Lenk's Verges locking themselves out of their car, for example - and which add to the lighthearted feel of the piece.
In fact the movie's strength, in my opinion, comes from its own closeness to Whedon's other projects in terms of atmosphere and emotion. There's a good mix of comedy and tension, shown in particular with Beatrice and Benedick, but the nature of the play always veers closer to the former, and it helps that the cast is known by Joss Whedon and he is able to play to their strengths. It always feels cosy and comfortable, and you get the feeling that everyone there really is having fun when you watch it.
However, there is always going to be something wrong, and that is true of Much Ado. Timing and budget constraints meant Whedon was unable to use steadicams whilst filming, and the slightly shaky camera is at times a little too noticeable, feeling somewhat out of place. And then there is the unnatural sight of Nathan Fillion in what I can only assume is a fat suit. When I first saw him in the scene he didn't look right, the suit made him look strange, and it draws the eye sometimes. It's not just that an overweight Nathan is a strange sight to see - but believe me, it is - it's that the fat suit doesn't seem to proportion the body right for Fillion's Dogberry.
Aside from these minor technical issues, however, a wonderful film. Shakespeare's dialogue and Whedon's eye make for a great adaptation and a good all-round movie. If I had the time and the money, I'd watch it again.
Just one thing, Mr Whedon: please leave Nathan Fillion out of the fat suit...
So, let's start with the story. I hadn't read, seen or thought about Much Ado for a few years before this came out, so I was a little hazy on the story myself, but it goes a little like this: Don Pedro returns victorious from battle, along with Benedick and Claudio, to the house of Leonato, an old friend, and his daughter and niece, the fair Hero and Beatrice, respectively. Claudio falls in love with Hero, and Don Pedro proceeds to woo her in his name. The morning after their return - and a night of heavy drinking and partying - Leonato is only too happy for Claudio to marry his daughter. And now that the young couple is happy, the gang focus their attention on re-kindling the flames of passion between Benedick and Beatrice...
Standing in the way of our protagonists and the two potential happy couples, however, is Sean Maher's charismatic and understated Don John. Returning with Don Pedro - in modern style, stepping from a car and bound by a cable tie - and backed up by his cronies Conrade and Borachio, he plans to slander Hero's good name and stop the wedding. With only an inept police force to uncover the scandal, will there be a happy ending?
Shakespeare purists will probably cry out, deploring Whedon's decision to make Conrade female, possibly also his decision to update it's setting, but at the end of the day it's Shakespeare done well. There are several moments where I had to resist the urge to laugh out loud - Alexis Denisof's alpha male attempts to "subtly" woo an unsuspecting Beatrice as Benedick spring to mind - and much of the comedy springs from the almost spontaneous nature of much of the performance. There were many parts which were improvised by the cast - Nathan Fillion's Dogberry and Tom Lenk's Verges locking themselves out of their car, for example - and which add to the lighthearted feel of the piece.
In fact the movie's strength, in my opinion, comes from its own closeness to Whedon's other projects in terms of atmosphere and emotion. There's a good mix of comedy and tension, shown in particular with Beatrice and Benedick, but the nature of the play always veers closer to the former, and it helps that the cast is known by Joss Whedon and he is able to play to their strengths. It always feels cosy and comfortable, and you get the feeling that everyone there really is having fun when you watch it.
However, there is always going to be something wrong, and that is true of Much Ado. Timing and budget constraints meant Whedon was unable to use steadicams whilst filming, and the slightly shaky camera is at times a little too noticeable, feeling somewhat out of place. And then there is the unnatural sight of Nathan Fillion in what I can only assume is a fat suit. When I first saw him in the scene he didn't look right, the suit made him look strange, and it draws the eye sometimes. It's not just that an overweight Nathan is a strange sight to see - but believe me, it is - it's that the fat suit doesn't seem to proportion the body right for Fillion's Dogberry.
Aside from these minor technical issues, however, a wonderful film. Shakespeare's dialogue and Whedon's eye make for a great adaptation and a good all-round movie. If I had the time and the money, I'd watch it again.
Just one thing, Mr Whedon: please leave Nathan Fillion out of the fat suit...
Glad to see you're posting again. Plz do it more. Also, in Paris, post EVERY DAY about our adventures or LET ME.
ReplyDeleteI certainly shall be posting more.
DeleteAs for Paris, I probably won't be posting anything while we're there, but afterwards I'll have almost a week's worth of photos and stories, so you'll definitely get something afterwards.