Much Ado About Nothing is one of William Shakespeare’s most renowned comedies. If you’re unfamiliar with the play, it’s been described as a ‘deconstruction of the idea of love’ examining and re-examining what makes people fall in love, at least according to 17th century noble-born sensibilities. Shakespeare was, of course, a master wordsmith and his dialogue is chock full of clever quips, and amusing turns of phrase. So pairing this play’s famed romantic banter with someone known today for their quirkily smart romance and action like Joss Whedon isn’t such a stretch.
This stripped down, black and white film adaptation of Much Ado brings together the Whedon stock players in a new light. It’s really a theater geek’s dream come true; a team of amazingly talented and successful creatives take time out of their glamorous lives to shoot this low budget, indie passion project over the course of just 12 days. The film was shot on location in Whedon’s own house no less! You can feel the talent, and love for storytelling, in every frame of this film. Aside from anything impressive you may have heard about this film’s creation, though, it’s important to note that the film itself is a deftly crafted execution of a wonderful story.