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Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing

List Price: $14.95
Your Price: $11.21
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fun, magnificent, and charming
Review: If you really hate Shakespeare, then you might change your mind after watching this film; you'll probably end up watching it over and over again!

My one line summary says it all: it's truly a wonderful film to watch and own. That, and I'd love to know how Branagh accomplished the camera work in the last scene of the film--totally amazing!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great Adaptation of a Classic
Review: I love this movie! Kenneth Branagh stayed true to the original, and he and Emma Thompson are perfect as the feuding lovers who don't know they're in love. Keanu Reeves is a bit out of place (but looks really good in leather pants), and I thought Michael Keaton was hilarious. This is a must see for Branagh, Thompson, or Shakespeare fans, or just anyone who likes a good romance. It is a fun and funny movie.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Four stars, and they all go to Emma Thompson
Review: Emma Thompson gives one of the finest screen performances of the decade as Beatrice. She is beautiful, intelligent, funny, and very very sexy. Unfortunately, Kenneth Branagh makes for a poor Benedick. Branagh goes utterly over the top, and is finally so irritating that I found myself wondering what in God's name Beatrice finally sees in him. The rest of the cast is able, except, predictably enough, for Keanu Reeves, of whom the less said the better. See the movie for Emma, and ignore Kenneth, if you can.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Keanu Reeves saved this insipid picture
Review: There, now I have your attention. I was just kidding. No need to get into how bad Reeves was. My main disappointment is not with the film, but with the DVD. Where are the extras??? The behind-the-scenes documentary (and there is one - I saw it on BBC) and the director's commentary option. I for one would love to hear how Branagh puts together a film. It's missing on Frankenstein as well. I'm crossing my fingers for Hamlet when it arrives on DVD...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Shakespeare made accessible for one and all!
Review: I rarely buy videos, but this one I had to have. I saw part of it on televison, then forgot about it until I borrowed a copy from my local library. That was it! This film will definitely stand up to repeated viewings. The best part of it is the clever dialogue, the verbal dueling between the characters Beatrice and Benedict. Their romance is so much more interesting than the two younger lovers, because they start out hardly able to stand one another. Also, Michael Keaton is just a hoot. As for poor Keanu Reeves -- well, he didn't get much screen time and there doesn't seem to be very much for him to do. I've pulled out my college Shakespeare anthology to read the play, but haven't finished it yet, so I can't tell whether the part of Don Jon was whittled down for the film, or just a stock Shakespeare villian without a whole lot of character development to begin with. Or if, as a lot of fellow reviewers seem to think, Keanu just can't act -- especially in comparison to the rest of this wonderful cast. You've gotta see it for yourself! The most amazing thing is how the actors make the language work for us as if it hadn't been written 400 years ago. Burton and Taylor have nothing on Branagh and Thompson....

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This book is the best Shakespear book ever written!!!
Review: Much Ado About Nothing is the best Shakespear book ever written. It is a funny, romantic book, perfect for snuggling up with on a winter night. I advise you strongly to read it. You will surely LOVE it!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Viually Spectacular, Hilariously Funny, Fantastic.
Review: I saw this FILM (not a movie) when it first came out in the theaters. I loved it so much, I purchased it as soon as it became available on VHS. Then when I got my DVD player, it was one of my first purchases. This film is a wonderful adaptation of a fabulous play by on of the world's greatest and my favorite storyteller. I think if Shakespreare were alive today, he and Kenneth Branagh would be very good friends. Excellent direction, casting, locations, acting, costumes and cinamatography. Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson did a superb job with the lovers who refused to love, locked in an endless battle of witts until both had to give in (with a little help from their friends). Michael Keaton was hilarious. I loved everything about this film except for the casting of Keanu Reeves. I'm sure they could have found someone with talent to play the villain. His acting was bland (as usual) and his motivation seemed compoletely contrived. Keanu not withstanding, Much Ado About Nothing is one of the most enjoyable films I've seen, ever, and I recommend it to everyone.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fun, Vibrant and Beautiful to Watch
Review: It's wonderful to see such a talented (big name) cast in a Shakespear comedy. Branagh and Thompson are fabulous at the fast-paced exchange of wits. Keaton is hilarious. Keanu Reeves stands out a bit and doesn't seem quite comfortable with Shakespear, but it kind of works for the character. Washington is smooth, as usual. In this ensemble piece, everyone seems to be running at top of form and enjoying their role. The presentation is interesting - evoking the feeling of the historical period, yet seeming somewhat comtemporary at the same time. The pace is engaging. And the lush countryside is a suitably simple yet beautiful backdrop.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Truly a Masterpiece!
Review: Shakespeare is dead, that is a fact. But with a man like Kenneth Branagh, his works come to life. Kenneth Branagh is not new to Shakespeare by any means, after I saw Henry V, I thought he couldn't possibly do better...I was wrong. Much Ado About Nothing is truly a masterpiece. Even if you are not a Shakepeare fan, you will love the beautiful scenery, costuming, and magnificent acting. Shakespeare may be dead, but his works will live on thanks to Kenneth Branagh.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful!
Review: I first saw this movie in Drama class, and I loved it. I found it very easy to understand because of the wonderful actors. I also found it very funny. The whole romance between Benedict and Beatrice was hilarious. I liked how there was a dramatic plot and another filled with comic relief. The acting was superb! Denzel Washington was amazing. I can't find any other word to describe it. I was also very impressed with Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh. I never had a problem understanding what they were saying for they spoke clearly and with emotion. They were the perfect Beatrice and Benedict. The ending where they decide to take each other "out of pity" was so funny and adorable. They have to be one of the funniest onscreen couple of all time. Robert Sean Leonard and Kate Beckingsale, as Claudio and Hero provided the drama. Robert Sean Leonard did a wonderful job, as well, as did Kate Beckingsale. I loved their plot and the wedding scene where he pushed her down got my heart racing. I thought the part where Beatrice was like, "tis your cue count," and then she tells Hero to stop his mouth with a kiss was one of the cutest parts in the movie. The only person I had a problem with was Keanu Reeves. He did okay, but he didn't show much emotion, nor did he speak very clearly or slowly when doing his monologues. You had to be paying attention very closely to understand him, especially if you weren't familar with the Shakespearan language. Overall I totally suggest you see this movie. It's one of the best movies of all time, filled with romance, drama, and comedy.


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