“Much Ado About Nothing”, directed, adapted and produced by Joss Whedon (director of “The Avengers” and now the unofficial Marvel God) was released last week (in a limited release and will be gaining theaters as its run progresses) to the tune of an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is a re-imagining of the classic Shakespeare romantic comedy set in modern times, though utilizing the same exact script, and was filmed in black and white, in Whedon’s home within a 12 day shooting period.
I had the opportunity to catch a screening of the film last night and I enjoyed it immensely. I am not a huge fan of Shakespeare, but I have always enjoyed Much Ado, though the last time I viewed the play was 4 years ago. The first scene of the film appeared and I was incredibly confused. To jump right into Shakespearean speak is always a daunting task, but by the 3rd scene, I was enthralled. The film had multiple laugh out loud moments and an incredible score that needs an Oscar nomination. It is a must-see film in my book.
This was a passion project of Whedon’s, a nice palate cleanser between huge superhero films. While watching, I couldn’t help but think, why can’t Disney do this anymore? Last year they released “The Odd Life of Timothy Green”, which was JUST what I wanted. Was the summer release date a good choice for a movie of that nature? Heck no, but it was a refreshing change of pace for Disney and I loved it.
I have wrote before on Iger’s passion for only big budget films, but I want to see more range. “Prom” was a good idea, but a bad result. I would be fine with more “Lizzie McGuire Movie” esque films and more passion projects.
Luckily, we are getting some of these types of films soon. “Saving Mr. Banks”, the story of how P.L. Travers gave Walt Disney the rights to “Mary Poppins” is being released this December in hopes for some Oscar Buzz and next year brings us “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” starring Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner next October. Let us hope these films to well enough to keep the trend alive!
Do you agree with Disney’s “Big Budget Only” mentality? Are you interested in Whedon’s passion project? Are you a movie score-snob like I am? Let me know in the comments below! Until next time…have a magical day!