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Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
7 May 1993 (USA) morePlot:
Young lovers Hero and Claudio, soon to wed, conspire to get verbal sparring partners and confirmed singles Benedick and Beatrice to wed as well. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(33 articles)
Kate Beckinsale Braves The Freezing Cold For 'Whiteout' (From MTV Movie News. 10 September 2009, 5:53 AM, PDT)
Top 5 Sports Stories
(From Huffington Post. 28 August 2009, 8:20 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Truly Wonderful! A great movie! more (144 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Richard Briers | ... | Leonato | |
| Kate Beckinsale | ... | Hero | |
| Imelda Staunton | ... | Margaret | |
| Jimmy Yuill | ... | Friar Francis | |
| Brian Blessed | ... | Antonio | |
| Andy Hockley | ... | George Seacole | |
| Chris Barnes | ... | Francis Seacole | |
| Conrad Nelson | ... | Hugh Oatcake | |
| Phyllida Law | ... | Ursula | |
| Emma Thompson | ... | Beatrice | |
| Alex Lowe | ... | Messenger | |
| Denzel Washington | ... | Don Pedro | |
| Keanu Reeves | ... | Don John | |
| Richard Clifford | ... | Conrade | |
| Gerard Horan | ... | Borachio |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
111 minLanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
DolbyCertification:
Australia:PG | Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-8 | France:U | Germany:6 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13Filming Locations:
Villa Vignamaggio, Greve in Chianti, Florence, Tuscany, ItalyFun Stuff
Trivia:
Director Trademark: [Kenneth Branagh]Frequent Branagh composer Patrick Doyle is cast as Balthasar. moreGoofs:
Anachronisms: In the final scene, one musician is shown playing a piano accordion, an instrument which was invented centuries later. moreQuotes:
Don Pedro: Good Signior Leonato, you are come to meet your trouble: the fashion of the world is to avoid cost, and you encounter it.Leonato: Never came trouble to my house in the likeness of your grace.
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Chapter Headings, a quasi-official version:more
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Brilliant! Kenneth Branagh's version of the timeless William Shakespeare classic is a great rendition of the film, making it accessible to everyone, even those who do not like Shakespeare.
Let me first say that I am a great fan of Shakespeare's works. In college I was an English literature major, with a minor in theater, and so Shakespeare is found in both. Theater people state that Shakespeare was never literature at all, which in the purpose of the plays is true, however because of the prose that he wrote in is a poetic form, he is literature as well. Whatever you do, never get in between two people arguing this point, your head might blow up!
Reading the comments on this page, the basic attack on this movie is that Branagh cuts lines and shaved parts. Yes, of course he did. Nothing is sacred, not even the works of Shakespeare, people. I myself was in a Shakespeare play, and over half the script was cut from it. With a Shakespeare play, the question is what to cut. If this play had been presented in it's entirety, it would have been close to five hours long. And today's movie audience just does not have that kind of patience. "Titanic" was stretching it a little, in terms of time. Shakespeare's original audience would have had no problem, because they made a day of it.
So when Branagh did this play, he had to shave off a great deal of the script, and he had to decide what to focus on. He had to focus on the main characters, being Beatrice and Benedict and their romance, and of course the drama concerning Hero and Claudio, but also keep other characters incorporated as well. For those attacking the "whittling down" of the script, why didn't anyone bring up the point that Benedict is supposed to have shaved his beard while in attempt to woo Beatrice. Why? Because it really isn't a major plot point that is needed at all. So Branagh made great choices in his direction of the film, and in the end he made sure that everything tied together logically, and that there were no loose ends.
The performances by the actors were great as well. There was nothing wrong with casting Denzel Washington as the prince, though people seem to have a beef with it. He pulled it off very well. And Keanu Reeves did a great job as well. It was a treat to see him as a villain. I happen to be a fan of Reeves, and I do see him as great casting, though why people also have a problem with him I'll never know. Branagh was going for acting ability, not just names. Reeves has the goods, and he can speak Shakespeare very well, it's his character that's supposed to be moody. And Keaton was a wonderful choice for the Constable, making me laugh whenever he was on the screen. And the other actors all did very well in their roles.
If you're a lover of Shakespeare or not, this film is a great treat, and it appeals to all audiences who love the classic masterpiece.