Much Ado About Nothing

Rating:
Summary: Definitely a keeper here....
Review: Branagh again shows his brilliance as the premier Shakespearean adaptation director of our time. He uses an imaginative cast and some dreamily beautiful scenery and music to create a movie that is light hearted, funny and escapist (which is a good thing is these dark times). Denzel is wonderful as the lovingly charming and self-assured Prince Don Pedro. Quite frankly I never suspected he could do Shakespeare so easily and sexily.
Branagh is not quite as good an actor as he is directing, but his witty and quick tempered Benedick has the right contrast of insecurity and aplomb. In my book though, he will never top his portrayal of Henry V. I've always had a huge crush on Emma Thompson and her performance here is nothing short of amazing; direct, passionate (I loved the teary scene after Hero's unwarranted disgrace, funny and wishful. I hardly know Robert Sean Leonard but I thought his naive and boyish portrayal of Claudio was quite appropriate to the role. He didn't steal scenes from Washington or Branagh but I think he was true to the play. Despite what many would say, I was pleasantly surprised by Keanu Reeves as the evil plotting Don John. He definitely looked the roguish part and his delivery is meant to show the limitations of the character (not that of the actor) as Shakespeare wrote the role. My only disappontment was that of Michael Keaton as the Constable Dogberry. I didn't appreciate his attempt at Beetlejuice humor and I thought a Geoffery Rush here would have done much better justice to this humorous and juicy role. Moreover, he kept jumbling his words so I could hardly understand what he was saying. The rest of the supporting cast were quite good especially Kate Beckinsale (Hero). This movie and it's DVD version is a must see classic for all Shakespeare fans.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: This is one of my favorite Shakespeare movies. The performances were delivered so originally and the plot was so much like other movies that I thought for a while that this movie was not an adaptation of a Shakespeare play but an original brainchild of Kenneth Branagh, who was amazing and hilarious as Benedick. I have not read the entire play of Much Ado About Nothing but I could understand everything that was going on. Keanu Reeves played Don John like a real movie villain. I don't know who the plot revolves around. Is it about Hero and Claudio, Beatrice and Benedick, or both couples? Emma Thompson was also very funny as Beatrice. Is it just me or have Richard Briers (who plays Leonato) and Brian Blessed (who plays Antonio) been in almost every Shakespeare adaptation done by Kenneth Branagh. Kenneth Branagh really knows how to bring Shakespeare to the screen. I was sad that the girl who played Hero didn't have a lot of dialogue. Michael Keaton played Dogberry very nicely. I loved hearing his Beetlejuice voice again. I had no idea that Denzel Washington could do Shakespeare. He was so amazing as Don Pedro. A friend of mine thinks he should play Othello. I agree. See this movie. You won't regret it.

Rating:
Summary: yuck!
Review: I'm no fan of the original play and this film version is even worse. The film adds pointless scenes (nudity, along with others) not in Shakespeare's work and twists others; all aimed at an audience that doesn't care about solid acting--of which this film has none (spoiling the few interesting bits of the play)--to begin with and many of the actors simply shouldn't have even been considered-both Reeves (who can't act at all), and Keaton could never work out in a drama movie.
It should be said that nearly every big-screen Shakespeare translation (apart from Zeffirelli's version of Hamlet and Branagh's Henry V) have stunk. Parker's Othello is just as bad as this piece of trash to say nothing of Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet or Hoffman's A Midsummer Night's Dream. It's my suggestion, that if you really want to see Shakespeare off the stage, then look for BBC material.

Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Love Story
Review: Many find William Shakespeare's Romeo and Julliet to be their favorite love story, but after seeing this movie it won me over. When you read his work after you see this movie it feels more exciting.
I enjoyed reading A Midsummer Night's Dream, but I haven't seen the motion picture, yet. This was also another great love story with colorful characters.
His colorful characters are one of the reasons why I love his writing so much. They have personalities; they have life. When the protagonists take too much of the story it gets boring, but when you have a rich melting pot of characters in which their lives all meet at some degree its a lot of fun.
In this movie you see song and merriment of the Mediterranean countires. Many courtships arise and the strenght of love, faith and trust are put to the test. See who wins and see who fails and see who gets a second chance.

Rating:
Summary: Very Entertaining
Review: This movie really took me by surprise. I guess I was expecting it to be dated and more serious, but in Shakespeare fashion it was quite entertaining and timeless. It was a brilliant take on a classic. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: I liked it.
Review: Great film, but Reeves should stick with the Matrix type movies. Was he supposed to be funny?

Rating:
Summary: Great movie!
Review: I first saw it in my Shakespear class and immediately fell in love with it. My class and I watched the scene where Benidick overheard Claudio, Don Pedro and Leonato. The next time we went to Hastings, I rented the movie. I liked it, but I wasn't very comfortable at the beginning if my 7 year old sister saw it. I would recomend it to all teens and adults. It is a great movie and I hope you can have a chance to see it. The actors and the director ( who plays Benidick!) are amazing! Watch the movie, and you will see what I mean.

Rating:
Summary: This is a great film
Review: Whether you are a student studying Shakespeare, a lover of shakespeare or just a lover of good films, this is one to get. Out of all the Shakespeare and Brannagh films I have seen this ranks as one of the best, the setting is gorgeous, it just makes you want to go to Italy. The acting is tremendous and the whole film makes you walk away with a huge smile on your face with that feel good feeling that movies very rarely give you

It is also extremely funny, watch out for the fool character that Shakespeares does so well.

As a Brit who grew up thriving on Shakespeare plays, trust me, this is worth having in your DVD collection

Top marks from me for this .

Rating:
Summary: What a PARENT wants to know about Much Ado for children
Review: Exposing children to classic Shakespeare is a great way to enhance their education in a fun way! As a parent, it is difficult to find 'child-appropriate' productions, especially in view of the fact that the Bard did NOT write for children in the first place! Language is typical Shakespeare, and every questionable word is in the original script. If you are studying Shakespeare, then you need to read the entire play first, before viewing any production of it, and thus, the scenes I am about to detail will be no surprise to you. After you finish reading the play, I strongly recommend watching the entire movie without your children first, so that you know exactly when the questionable content occurs. Then you can plan accordindingly. I will allow my own budding 'English Lit. Major' (12 yrs old) watch it, and will shield her from the following scenes:

1) In the opening, after Beatrice says, "No, not till a hot January," everyone runs to the house to get ready for a party. A 'bath house' scene ensues where they all shed clothing at an alarming rate! The men are separate from the women, and the nudity is 'confined' to lots of shots from the back. If the amount of 'skin' in Classical Art offends you, then this entire scene will offend you. I suggest skipping directly from the end of the picnic on the hilltop to when the soldiers approach the house on foot in formation.
2) At the masqurade, Hero's maid Margaret cavorts with Borachio, though their clothes do remain on. This sets up a later plot development. However, a careful parent is going to have some of those 'difficult things' to discuss with their children about appropriate vs. inappropriate behavior, as this is a great example of how no one wishes to see their own daughter/son behave. This part of the scene lasts about a minute, and is towards the beginning of the party scene.
3) The villain discredits Hero with the aid of his servant. I certainly wish they had been more vague in how this was presented to the movie camera, but it is straight from the play script, & shown in such a way as leaves no doubt about what is happening as Claudio, Don Pedro, & Don John look on. I will stop the movie after Don John verbally belies Hero (still in the house), and skip this scene out in the courtyard under her window. However, you will need to explain what happened, as the 'wedding scene' that follows will make no sense otherwise.

Concluding remarks: Having read the entire play first, I realized that I had missed some very important plot points that were revealed much more clearly when I actually watched it. If you are studying Shakespeare, then you really need to see the plays acted out, as this is the artistic medium through which they were intended to be displayed. Not every production of one of Shakespeare's plays is worth seeing just because Shakespeare's original script is used. However, this production stays very close to the original intent and design of the author, and is worth your careful consideration for educational viewing.

Rating:
Summary: Branagh brings Shakespeare to life!
Review: Kenneth Branagh is, undoubtedly, my favorite Shakespeare actor and director. He casts based on talent rather than popularity and his choices really pay off. His own roles are instilled with a vibrant energy and life not often seen in film.

This screen adaptation of Shakespeare's romantic comedy takes us on a light-hearted adventure of match-making and deceit. Branagh plays Benedick, a soldier in the company of Don Pedro of Aragon and a "professed tyrant" to the female sex who swears he will die a bachelor. Emma Thompson, then Branagh's wife, plays Beatrice, a free-spirited female version of Benedick. The two are engaged in a "merry war" of wits, and constantly offend one another. Their friends, however, see them as the perfect couple and endeavour to bring them together against their own wills.

The second love story is that of Claudio, another favored soldier of prince Don Pedro, played by Robert Sean Leonard, and Hero, a career-starting role for actress Kate Beckinsale. Theirs is a case of love at first sight, and they soon become engaged to be married. Don John, the prince's outcast brother, however, will do anything to destroy the happiness of one of Don Pedro's favored men. He and his henchmen enter into a plot to break up the engagement.

Don Pedro is played by Denzel Washington, and the role highlights his amazing versatility and talent as an actor. This is definitely one of his best performances. It is also refreshing to see a movie where the good brother is played by a person of color and the bad brother, Don John (Keanu Reeves) is white. Branagh made an excellent casting choice and both characters shine.

Comic relief is provided by an outstanding performance of Michael Keaton as Dogberry, the local sheriff who's more than a little off his rocker, but harmlessly entertaining. Delightful performances are also given by Richard Briers as Leonato, Brian Blessed as Antonio, and Richard Clifford as Conrade.

With great acting, verbal and physical comedy, and a wonderful musical score, this film is a definite must-see for any fan of Shakespeare and Kenneth Branagh. A truly delightful movie!