Back in 1989 Kenneth Branagh made a splash in the title role of Henry V and because of it became a movie star and was allowed to produce several of Shakespeare\u2019s plays paid for by major studios!\u00a0 One of the fruits of this strange marriage of Hollywood and Branagh was \u201cMuch Ado About Nothing,\u201d one of the comedies.\u00a0 The cast combines English stage and screen actors with American movie stars such as Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, Kate Beckinsale and Keanu Reeves.\u00a0 And because at the time she was Mrs. Branagh, Emma Thompson co-starred.<\/p>\n
Up front I will say that this film is a bizarre mix of good, bad, indifferent and unbearable acting.\u00a0 The subplot that involves the thwarting of a marriage by a wrongful accusation against the bride is so emotionally overwrought and pathetic that I am tempted to fast forward through it.\u00a0 On the other hand, the antagonistic love\/hate relationship between Branagh and Thompson\u2019s characters is at times very amusing.\u00a0 But the stand out part in the play is Michael Keaton as the chief night constable Dogberry.\u00a0 His bizarre appearance and mannerisms are very funny.\u00a0 His malapropisms and nonsensical instructions to his men sound like they come from someone hallucinating.\u00a0 My favorite exchange occurs when Dogberry tries to explain to the lord of the castle what he has discovered during his night watch.\u00a0 When he speaks at length without making any sense the lord tells Dogberry that he is tedious.\u00a0 Dogberry mistakes this for a compliment and promises that if he himself were as rich as a king he would willingly bestow all his tediousness on the lord.<\/p>\n
Aside from the young love interests the worst acting of the play is provided by Keanu Reeves.\u00a0 He plays the villain of the story Don John.\u00a0 Never before or since have Shakespeare\u2019s words been spoken so woodenly and so bereft of any skill.\u00a0 Luckily he was able to move on and use this skill where it belonged, in John Wick 2.\u00a0 Don John\u2019s brother in the movie is Denzel Washington\u2019s Don Pedro.\u00a0 I must confess I couldn\u2019t see the family resemblance but Don Pedro did acquit himself much more ably Keanu.\u00a0 He was amusing and amiable.<\/p>\n
For fans of the tv show House, the actor who played Wilson on that show, Robert Sean Leonard, plays the young love interest opposite Kate Beckinsale.\u00a0 His emotional scenes which involved frequent tears are so embarrassing it\u2019s a wonder he ever acted again.<\/p>\n
So what can I say about this movie?\u00a0 Anyone I haven\u2019t scared away with my descriptions should give it a viewing.\u00a0 It is most definitely a mixed bag.\u00a0 But for someone who enjoys Shakespeare there are some fine scenes interspersed amongst the awful.\u00a0 It\u2019s your call.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Back in 1989 Kenneth Branagh made a splash in the title role of Henry V and because of it became a movie star and was<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[239,237],"tags":[406,888,2364,43,2365,38,1355,295,2363],"class_list":["post-10080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-movie-reviews","category-reviews","tag-keanu-reeves","tag-kenneth-branagh","tag-michael-keaton","tag-movie-review","tag-much-ado-about-nothing","tag-review","tag-reviews","tag-shakespeare","tag-shakespeare-in-film"],"yoast_head":"\n