Much Ado About Nothing

After two screenings in a row, I can't stop thinking about whether the uninformed viewer could ever enjoy the current adaptation of this medieval romance. Probably not. It's not that it's absolutely necessary to know that we are watching friendly "amateur theatre" at Joss Whedon's house in order to enjoy slightly adapted classic texts, but it is precisely those who have thoroughly watched Joss's TV work who will enjoy this dose of Shakespeare the most. Whether it's a deeply dreamy sigh that "Wesley" and "Fred" are still a fated couple years after the end of Angel, or just a knowing smile when "Mr. Dominic" from Dollhouse casually starts playing the guitar in the morning. Perhaps only Nathan Fillion is again playing Nathan Fillion, and we eat it up with benevolent forgiveness, not expecting anything else from him. And that look lasted easily until the final credits. This friendly art is everything. A successful experiment and a declaration of love for beloved classics – but above all, an excellent film where sincere confessions blend with a decent dose of side jokes. (31/10/2013)