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In my first Shakespeare review, I presented you with an adaptation of one of The Bard's most beloved comedies, Much Ado About Nothing. Today, I would like to discuss a different take on the same play. One that may not be as energetic or wild as Kenneth Branagh's version but still has an individual voice that is distinct and appreciative of the text (albeit seemingly surface level in its understanding). This adaptation from 2012 comes from another Hollywood staple, Joss Whedon.
Joss Whedon, best known for TV shows like Firefly and the first Avengers film, is one of those Hollywood talents whose works are more enjoyable than the man himself. Starting out in television as a writer and showrunner, mostly famous for his hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon made a name for himself with tough women characters, a love for all things nerd related, and writing style so distinct (referred to by some as "Buffy Speak") that it is easily recognizable by virtually anyone. To quote Kyle Kallgren from his web series Brows Held High, Whedon's writing style sounds "...codified by a jumbling of nouniness and adgtiviage language bits that sound like your brain forgets words before spontaneously re-remembering them again."
As such, it kind of seems strange that he would choose to take on a simple adaptation of Shakespeare. Considering how comfortable he normally is with his own writing. Not to mention how jarring it is to see him go from making over a billion dollars with the greatest superhero movie ever made only to take a hard left turn with what amounts to a high-budget home movie. This is not a criticism; it's just pleasantly surprising.
The idea for creating a Shakespeare film spawned from Joss Whedon hosting regular parties with his actor friends at his house in Santa Monica, where they would lounge in the living room reading one of The Bard's plays aloud to each other.
What I like about this take on Shakespeare is how simple it is. Knowing that the film was made with the director's many friends at his house gives a kind of "home movie" vibe to the whole presentation, which I love. I enjoy movies that feel as if they were made by people just having fun. It feels like something I could do with my own friends. As a matter of fact, I am. More on that later on.
Another aspect of this film that speaks to me is classical text in a modern setting. As I mentioned before in a previous article on this blog, Shakespeare's plays are written in such a way as to allow nearly limitless interpretation of presentation. The words sound unusual and, for lack of a better word, "aged," but they never sound unfamiliar or foreign. Shakespeare's words can be presented and delivered in so many ways that they can literally sing off the screen, provided they are handled by a cast and director who understand it well enough themselves.
Probably the only aspect about Whedon's take on The Bard is that it can at times come off as too simplistic. While I praise the simple home movie vibe of the presentation and continue to do so, Whedon's take on the text itself occasionally feels too flat. Like, he knows what the scene is about (at least I think he does), but it often feels as though he's not providing the punch that it needs. In other words, when comparing Joss Whedon's 2012 version to Kenneth Branagh's film from 1993, Branagh understood the text, whereas Whedon merely presented the text.
There are also a few questionable members of the cast. While some of them are excellent in their roles and have the skills and talent to sing their lines (Nathan Fillian and Amy Acker, to name a few), other cast members seem ill-suited to Shakespeare. Some of the cast members range from extras in The Avengers to high school kids who must be seeking extra points for their literature class. None of them are terrible per se; they just come off as inexperienced.
What ultimately sells the movie, at least to me, is the production value. Again, I love how the whole affair feels like a home movie given a budget. It's the kind of filmmaking I wish to do for a living, and I want to see more of it from everyone, especially from the big boys at Hollywood.
Despite my occasional nitpicks with the film's cast and production choices (like shooting in black & white only because it's easier to light scenes that way), Joss Whedon's take on The Bard is light and breezy. It's a fun little movie to put on during a lazy afternoon. Come for the party, don't stay for the clean-up.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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