Much Ado About Nothing (1993)

Directed by Kenneth Branagh. Starring Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Robert Sean Leonard, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, Richard Briers, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Keaton, Gerald Horan, Brian Blessed, Imelda Staunton, Jimmy Yuill, Richard Clifford, Ben Elton. [PG]

Nimble, galloping adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy of lovers, matchmaking, misunderstandings, and revenge on the island of Sicily, Branagh’s second of four cinematic interpretations of the Bard. More accessible than the average silver-screen Shakespeare, Branagh may force the material into frivolous romp format on occasion, but it’s well-mounted and scenic, and humorous and romantic as often as not. The text has been revised into a satisfactory package, but the acting is all over the map—Thompson is superb at both light romance and vindictive fury, Leonard and Beckinsale are each bland as romantic partners torn asunder by gossip and lies, Washington is smooth and earnest, Reeves is out of his element (and it often shows), and even though the character he’s playing (Dogberry) is an absurd burlesque famous for his frequent malapropisms, Keaton overexerts the speaking voice and mannerisms for a characterization imported from a completely different movie (imagine if Beetlejuice invaded an Ernst Lubitsch movie). Original score by frequent Branagh collaborator Patrick Doyle. Beckinsale’s film debut; Emma Thompson’s mother, actress Phyllida Law, has a small role.

73/100