"Much Ado About Nothing" is about everything that makes one happy to be alive.
Set in the Italian countryside in the 16th century, the film appropriately begins with Beatrice, played by Emma Thompson, reading in the fields to a group of women and men about how "men were deceivers ever." She implores them to convert their sounds of "woe into hey nonny, nonny."
The duplicity is first noted when Beatrice closes the book. All the women, getting word that the men were coming back from the battlefield, run quickly to bathe and make themselves presentable for those who will supposedly always be deceivers.
As the half dozen men arrive, the revelry begins, bringing with it love at first sight and passion at first word.
The film revolves around the love of Hero and Claudio that comes very close to turning the film into a Shakesperean tragedy. Hero is Lorenzo's daughter, the lord of the beautiful villa where the film takes place and Claudio is one of the prince's men.
While the audience may find pleasure in the subtle romantic gestures of Hero and Claudio, they are truly captivated by Beatrice and the man least likely to be her suitor, Benedick, played by Kenneth Branagh.
Branagh, who produced, directed and starred in the film, portrays his character brilliantly, with such wit that even Shakespeare would be pleased, but then again in Shakespeare's day a leading lady such as Thompson may have been hard to come by.
When Branagh is the mastermind, Thompson and him often star opposite one another and to no one's disappointment, the couple, playing to the audience's desire to keep them unaware of each other's true feelings, because it is so much fun to watch them make clowns of themselves as they hold on to the haughtiness and cuckolding with which the film begins.
Aware of the Shakesperean idea of comedy, audience members may not expect any tear-jerking scenes, but do not be surprised if tears fall from too much laughter.
The film's cast includes quite a few notables including "Malcolm X's" Denzel Washington as Don Pedro, the Prince, "Batman's" Michael Keaton as Dogberry, the crazy constable in charge of the watch and "Dracula's" Keanu Reeves, who has yet to leave the realm of "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure."
