Many have tried and failed to make Shakespeare relevant and modern, but
Whedon is smart enough to simply trust the material and his charming cast, all
of whom he's worked with on any number of past projects. Those familiar with Buffy,
Dollhouse, Firefly, and Angel will get the immediate kick
of seeing their favorite stars from those shows, in what looks like a weekend
party that turned into a Shakespeare reading. But even if you're not a loyal
follower of Whedon, the film is a true joy to watch.
The story and Shakespearean verse remain essentially untouched, other than
having been moved to sunny and upscale Santa Monica. The story centers mostly
on the constant bickering of love-hating former lovers, Benedick (Alexis
Denisof) and Beatrice (Amy Acker), who hurl one stinging barb after another
while proclaiming their eternal bachelorhood. The arrival of Benedick, along
with Don Pedro (Reed Diamond), and Claudio (Fran Kranz) to the home of wealthy
Leonato (Agent Coulson...er, Clark Gregg) has the winds of love stirring
throughout. Claudio has fallen in love with Leonato's beautiful and saintly
daughter Hero (Jillian Morgese), a match which everyone seems all too happy to
make happen. Everybody sees themselves as Cupid, and the biggest match of all
would be getting the jaded Benedick and Beatrice together once and for all.
It's easy to forget how razor sharp Shakespeare's writing often could be,
but the scathing barbs hurled between Benedict and Beatrice serve as a stark
reminder. Together, they make for a fascinating on screen pair, who fight and
pine for one another secretly and then fight some more. As played by Acker and
Denisof they are a comic gem and utterly irresistible. The same goes for
everybody else, as well, especially Nathan Fillion as the clownish Dogberry,
who bumbles along shocked every time someone calls him out for being an
"ass".
Although many of the schemes are light-hearted fun, it's the story's darker
elements that continue to be a problem. Sean Maher plays the manipulative Don
John, who schemes against Claudio and Hero's love by setting her up as
unfaithful. With her innocence besmirched, most of the men would rather see her
dead than branded a cheater, a tough position to take and have audiences still
root for these guys to find happiness later on. Hero's relative meekness in the
face of the charges is thankfully balanced out by the ferocious Beatrice, whose
defense of her sister is nothing less than inspiring. For those who have
never seen Acker before, or Denisof for that matter, this should be an
eye-opening experience, and hopefully it leads to seeing them more on the big
screen rather than small.As much fun as the film is, there's a limit to how much Shakespeare one can take in a single sitting, and thankfully Whedon doesn't overstay his welcome. He knows when to quit while he's well ahead, leaving us with an unexpectedly fanciful summer treat.
