In anticipation for my write up on Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing (opens nationwide on June 21), my post for this week is the Kenneth Branagh adaptation of the same play by William Shakespeare, which happens to be one of my favorite plays. Featuring an all star cast including Branagh, Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, Robert Shaw Leonard and a pre-Underworld Kate Beckinsale, this 1993 feature was made me fall in love with Shakespeare and Tuscany again (my first time was with the release of 1985’s A Room With a View).
For those who do not know, Much Ado About Nothing is as it states on the tin, it is a frivolous, lighthearted comedy or at least as light as Shakespeare can go.
I cannot believe it is 20 years since its release!
Check out the trailer below:
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I need to catch-up with this one again. Thanks, Iba.
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My pleasure!
Hi, iluv:
Excellent choice!
Branagh got me back into Shakespeare with ‘Henry V’ for its drama, cinema stage play look and feel. And ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ is the icing on the cake.
Bright, splashy and saucy. Superb cast from top to bottom apparently having a ball with the Bard. With great chemistry between Branagh and Thompson, Beckinsale and Robert Shawn Leonard!
This one just brings a smile to my face I tell ya 🙂
Hard to believe Beckinsale was this sweet and lovely once upon a time. She sure changed her image rather fast.
This will always be my favorite Shakespeare play. It was one of the first I ever saw performed back inthe early 1970s at the now defunct American Shakespeare Theatre Festival in Stratford, Connecticut. It made me realize how easy it is to understand the plays when they are performed well. In this movie it was a delight to see Michael Keaton as Dogberry, a bit young for the role, but noneltheless a fresh and exciting interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s greatest comic roles.
Yes. I had always been afraid of Willie Shakes but it really is accessible. This is one of the plays that proved it for me.
Beckinsale still lovely…who knows how sweet she is from this distance!
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She was definitely in her English Rose phase.
This one is appearing on PBS and indy public broadcasting stations this month, as part of distributor APT’s film package (I suspect that scheduling was not accidental!).
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Awesome!