FILM REVIEW: Much Ado About Nothing

Often described as the original romantic comedy, Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare's most beloved plays. Don Pedro (Reed Diamond) celebrates a victory over his wayward brother Don John (Sean Maher) by visiting his friend Leonato (Clark Gregg). He brings with him the self-proclaimed eternal bachelor Benedick (Alexis Denisof), who has a history with Leonato's niece, the quick-witted Beatrice (Amy Acker) and his friend Claudio (Fran Kranz) who soon falls in love with Leonato's daughter Hero (Jillian Morgese). A wedding is quickly arranged, but in the build-up to the big day, Don John conspires to tear apart the romantic relationship of Claudio and Hero whilst the rest of the company plot to unite the sparring Benedick and Beatrice, both using the cunning ruse of eavesdropping with a touch of voyeurism.

Much Ado About Nothing was shot by Joss Whedon over 12 days during a break from The Avengers, filmed in his own house with a cast handpicked from his assorted company of players. The results are nothing short of wonderful as the film is a witty, sexy and entertaining update of the Bard's romantic comedy. The use of predominantly one location works well within the context of the play and this is also helped in no small part by Whedon's house. The open plan architecture allows for plenty of eavesdropping opportunities whilst also building familial atmosphere as we look in on the lives of the central family and their friends. 

The modern setting could have been incongruous with the classical text, but Whedon has put a lot of thought into making the combination work. The sheer amount of alcohol drunk by the characters over the course of the film makes the paranoia more plausible, the pratfalls more comical. The score composed by Whedon well befits the shifts in mood and his arrangements of songs from the original text sound and feel like modern pop songs, particularly the beautiful Sigh No More. 

Shooting in black and white proves to be an inspired choice, giving the film a classical look that enhances the action, particularly the noirish elements of Don John's plot. There are a couple of moments that jar with the modern setting, particularly the emphasis on the female characters' virginity towards the end of the film. Especially as we've seen a glimpse of Beatrice's past that tells us something entirely different. However, this is a relatively small gripe and has very little impact on the quality of the film.

It is also one of the more accessible Shakespearian productions, aided by a cast who clearly understands what they're saying, a blessing in any adaptation of the Bard. If you're a fellow fan of the Whedonverse then one of the biggest delights is seeing the vast array of actors plucked from the director's various shows and it certainly adds to the family feel of the proceedings. There is an easy ensemble chemistry that ensures all are working well towards the vibrant atmosphere of the production; even Sean Maher as a deliciously evil Don John can't help but have a twinkle in his eye. There are a few performances that stand out, particularly Clark Gregg's Leonato; his scene with Morgese's Hero after the revelations is heartwrenching, particularly because of the comedic scenes leading up to it. Kranz' Claudio also manages to be one of the more sympathetic interpretations of the character and his double act with Diamond's Don Pedro has some great comic moments.

However, the stage will always belong to Beatrice and Benedick in this particular play. They exchange some of the best barbed conversations and have one of the most prickly yet adorable relationships in the Shakespeare oeuvre. Acker and Denisof rise wholly to the challenge, bringing their charm, comedy and dramatic ability to the fore to give us a Beatrice and Benedick for the ages. Denisof balances the buffoonery inherent in the character well with the maturity that emerges more in the latter stages of the film and his chemistry with Acker still crackles like it used to in Angel (yes Angel fans, seeing Wesley and Fred back together is every bit as good as it sounds).

Then there is Amy Acker at the centre of it all, bringing the audience a Beatrice that is at times spiteful, witty, venomous, charming, vulnerable and wicked all at once. The addition of the opening scene of a tryst between her and Benedick at some point in the past (hinted at but never confirmed in the text itself) gives Acker an excellent platform from which to launch her interpretation of Beatrice and grants an added layer to her relationship with Benedick. Her showstopping moment is naturally the 'If only I were a man' speech and Acker gives it her all, delivering with such passion that she completely steals the film. It's an impressive performance, one that I hope is recognised in amongst the usual Oscar bait fare.

One of the best Shakespeare adaptations of recent times, Much Ado About Nothing is a joy from start to finish, as capable of making you cry as it is of making you laugh. What elevates it above the rest is just how accessible it is from every conceivable angle; fans of the Whedonverse get to see the Whedon Company Players, Shakespeare fans can delight in the interpretation and those are neither can just enjoy the ride. Masterful.

*****

- Becky

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FILM REVIEW: The Cabin in the Woods

The Cabin in the Woods has been involved in something of a review furore over the past week with certain reviewers revealing spoilers and causing consternation for those people who want to go in and see the film cold. So I'm issuing a disclaimer straight away: This review will not contain any spoilers whatsoever, other than information that has appeared in the trailer for the film. 

Directed by Cloverfield's Drew Goddard, produced by Joss Whedon and written by both, Cabin in the Woods has been stuck on the shelf for awhile after MGM's financial difficulties. Now the film is finally with us, 18 months late but thankfully, just as fresh and as relevant. I heard about this project when it was first being produced back in 2009 and was ridiculously excited for it then. With all the anticipation for the film, mostly on my part, it could have easily become just another horror movie dud, but in the hands of genre mash-up extraordinaires Goddard and Whedon, we've got something that could be just as revolutionary as Scream was back in the 90s.

The film follows five college kids, Curt (Chris Hemsworth), Dana (Kristen Connelly), Holden (Jesse Williams), Marty (Fran Kranz) and Jules (Anna Hutchinson), off for a long weekend to Curt's cousin's cabin in the woods. On the way, we get the five meeting your stereotypical country hick (played brilliantly by Tim de Zarn) and being warned away from the cabin at the end of Tillerman Road. Instead of doing the sensible thing and turning around, the quintet of canon fodder head off to the remote location and proceed to awaken something that wants to slice and dice them one by one. But is there all there is to it? And just what do Sitterson (Richard Jenkins) and Hadley (Bradley Whitford) have to do with it all?

Now I can't stress enough that if you want to enjoy this film as fully as possible, it's essential to avoid all the spoilers you can. The primary reason for this is because The Cabin in the Woods is a film that demands to be viewed with very little prior knowledge and that's part of the joy of the experience; you think you know what's coming but trust me when I say you really don't.

Every twist, shock, surprise, laugh etc. comes from not being able to expect anything because you honestly have no idea what's about to happen. There were moments in the film where I jumped at something scary, laughed really hard at something funny, back to jumping, back to laughing again, all in the space of about 60 seconds of the film. It's a fantastic cinematic experience and it's really refreshing to attend a film where you haven't worked out the plot within about thirty seconds.

As you'd expect from Whedon and Goddard, the writing is brilliant, treading the fine line between horror and comedy throughout. It's a testament to both writers that, with a genre so tired and a format so familiar that the audience always knows what's coming, they inject new life into it, reminding us all why we love horror films so much in the first place. In the first half an hour, the cliches come thick and fast but the deconstruction of them comes just as quick, never once letting you forget that what you're watching is a horror film that is aware of exactly what it is.

Praise must also go to the excellent cast that were assembled for the film. The five actors portraying the college kids each fit their roles well, playing the horror archetypes that we're all used to seeing. The standout in this part of the ensemble is Fran Kranz as the stoner fool of the group, given some of the best lines in the film and stealing most scenes from the others. 

A pre-Thor Hemsworth does the supposedly dumb jock well while Connelly's virginal Dana is played with all the wide-eyed innocence you'd expect from that particular character. The best performances in the film though are Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford as the mysterious pair you see right at the beginning of the film. The chemistry between the two actors is a joy to watch and their appearances are a real highlight. 

Films that are meta in their construction often run the risk of being too clever for their own good. We've of course had the meta horror film before in Wes Craven's Scream but The Cabin in the Woods blows it away, simply because it's a lot more fun. Where it succeeds is that it has a considerable amount of love for the films it's poking fun at. The film knows it's extremely clever and self-aware, but, importantly, it doesn't take itself too seriously, making it one of the most fun films I have seen in a long time.

*****

- Becky