With the exception of perhaps the Holy Bible, no works have ever been more influential to western culture than those of William Shakespeare, whose plays and poetry have pervaded the collective culture for half a millennium, and introduced many of us to some of the most fascinating stories ever produced. Cinematically, Shakespeare has regularly found a place amongst various moviegoers’ lives, with several directors endeavouring to adapt his work, either directly or through being inspired by it. Kenneth Branagh is regularly considered to be the foremost scholar on the Bard’s work in terms of bringing them to the screen, with his frequent adaptations of works such as Henry V and Hamlet establishing him as someone who has committed his artistic career to interpret Shakespeare for modern audiences. Of his various adaptations, the one that is often cited as the outlier is Much Ado About Nothing, Branagh’s attempt to breathe new life into one of the playwright’s most beloved comedies. Admittedly, this isn’t the finest film derived from his work, with some of Branagh’s choices being questionable to say the least (we’ll discuss this in due course), but as a whole, this version of Much Ado About Nothing is a really charming affair, an upbeat period comedy that captures the spirit of one of the playwright’s more challenging comedies, succeeding for the most part, and managing to conceal the more disconcerting flaws that tend to rear their heads from time to time. Branagh is not a filmmaker I am particular enamoured with – and this to say absolutely nothing about his style of acting – but he did succeed in translating Much Ado About Nothing to the screen in a very fun and enjoyable manner, and while it veers towards the more slight adaptations of Shakespeare’s work, it is entertaining enough to prevent this from becoming too much of an issue.

Undoubtedly, Much Ado About Nothing is not the easiest story to tell, since not only does it have something of a labyrinthine plot, it has the added challenge of being a comedy. Shakespeare’s tragedies and histories are often cited as his best work (and rightly so, since many of them captured something very few other works of fiction have ever been able to do), but his comedies are often the ones that are most eagerly-consumed, particularly because they have the complexities of his serious work, but done through the lens of humour, which isn’t always easy to effectively convey. Much Ado About Nothing is not a straightforward play, with numerous strands of plot occurring in every direction, which is entirely by design – we’re thrown into a world of chaos, and have to scramble out of there, following the characters and their own confusion towards what they’re witnessing. By this standard, Branagh had his work cut out for him – and for the most part, he succeeded in doing justice to the story, despite reducing it considerably (which accounts for the sense that the film was rushing to get somewhere) and condensing some of the more theatrical elements to mere allusion, since a lot of what makes this story work are the stage-bound aspects that can’t easily be translated to film. I don’t normally subscribe to the idea that Branagh is some overly talented filmmaker, and even though his dedication to bringing Shakespeare to the screen for modern audiences is admirable, this is more a feat of assembling a talented group of collaborators, rather than creating something from scratch that can be considered anything close to a directorial achievement. Much Ado About Nothing is solid but incredibly safe, which doesn’t invalidate its glowing merits, but explains precisely why the film feels as if it is always on the precipice of greatness, without ever reaching it, remaining a reliable but predictable adaptation of a classic story that has been told many times in various forms.

In looking at Much Ado About Nothing, there is a clear demarcation that needs to be made – there is Branagh as the director, and Branagh as the actor. In terms of the former, he does well in bringing this film to the screen, never attempting to be too revolutionary with the ideas, and understanding that sometimes the best adaptations are those that don’t deviate all that far from their source material, and when Shakespeare (despite the existence of numerous wonderful revisions and reinterpretations), the best approach is the one that doesn’t attempt to change too much. As a director, he’s adequate and does well in giving a platform to one of the great classic comedies of its age. The same can’t be said for Branagh as an actor, since Much Ado About Nothing is yet another example of the actor’s own self-indulgence coming close to ruining a film – and perhaps the only really negative flaw of the film. While it is may be undeniable that everything in this film is intentionally pitched at a much higher level than your garden variety period comedy, with the absurdity and wacky pace being deliberate, Branagh exists on an entirely different plane of performance. He is truly abysmal as Benedick, who is supposed to be one of the great comedic heroes in Shakespeare’s oeuvre, but under the actor’s maladroit care, becomes truly unlikable. This isn’t a case of Branagh only giving a bad performance, but doing something that borders on a poorly-conceived experiment. He’s providing a masterclass in over-acting, with each moment he is on screen filled with an off-kilter energy that is understandable, had it been done with a more restrained actor in control. Everything in Branagh’s performance, from his lengthy soliloquies to his absurd mouth-movements, feels so false and constructed, it’s surprising that he managed to get away with such an interpretation since he single-handedly is responsible for the film being a bit of a chore at some points – and considering how, in his capacity as the director, he managed to make a decent film, there’s a certain disconnect that may not be enough to dismiss the film as a whole, but is definitely a reason for concern at the very least.

Mercifully, we’re spared from seeing Branagh’s over-acting for the entire duration of the film, since Much Ado About Nothing is an ensemble piece, with focus shifting between various characters. It’s not all that surprising that the moments this film is at its best are those when Branagh is nowhere to be seen, with the emphasis being placed on the rest of the cast. Denzel Washington proves that he could do absolutely anything with a role as the regal but gentle Don Pedro, the benevolent prince who takes a sojourn to Messina after a battle, and the catalyst for much of the story’s conflict. Washington isn’t necessarily challenging himself here, building his performance on his undeniable charisma, but it’s more than enough to justify his approach, since the film is at its best when the actors are doing what they’re comfortable with. Michael Keaton is a riot as the incompetent but well-meaning Dogberry, who has some very funny moments (even though the idea of Keaton playing a drugged-out Irish cop with anger problems in an Italian medieval comedy is amusing on its own), truly giving a performance that defines the concept of an actor going over-the-top, but doing it within reason, and at least having some fun with it. Keanu Reeves and Kate Beckinsale are present mainly for the purposes of moving the plot along, with their performances varying in quality (this was during Reeves’ period of being miscast in films that overestimated his skills), but are solid enough to keep us engaged. However, the true star of Much Ado About Nothing is the enchanting Emma Thompson, who once again proves every performance she gives to be something of a minor revelation. She’s the beating heart of this film, commanding the screen with an ethereal gracefulness that singularly defined her as one of the greatest actresses of her generation. Hilarious, heartfelt and always in control of the character, even when the material dares to pull away from her, Thompson is just astonishing. Like Branagh, she does disappear from the narrative for long stretches of time – but unlike Branagh, we sorely miss her presence when she’s not on screen, so each time she re-emerges is a wonderful moment. She’s the one performer who comes out of Much Ado About Nothing not only unscathed, but also with the sensation that she truly gave a great performance – she defines the concept of luminosity, and even though this is a relatively minor work, considering what she else she has shown herself to be capable of, she’s absolutely astonishing and steals the entire film and makes it her own.

Much Ado About Nothing is a fine film, and just about as special as it possibly can be, considering the material everyone was working from. There’s no reason for the film to not succeed – the cast was wonderful, the production design sharp and gorgeous, and the general adaptation being quite good at capturing the spirit of Shakespeare’s work. The film was never going to be a complete failure in any way, since this kind of work is bound to have some inherent charm to it, so it’s hardly surprising that it managed to be such a delight. It doesn’t aspire to much, other than standing as a solid, endearing work of theatrical comedy, and manages to find the heart in even the most unlikely of places. To his credit, Branagh delivers exactly what he promises, and while his own performance in the central role may border on utterly atrocious, his directing is solid – he shows that he is much better as someone interpreting Shakespeare from behind the camera, rather than placing himself in front of it, since the moments Much Ado About Nothing works the best are those where he shifts focus away from his own indulgence and centres it on any of the more interesting performers populating his film. It’s a decent effort that has moments of effervescent brilliance scattered throughout, and functions as a very noble attempt at bringing the Bard’s work to a more contemporary space – as faithful and effective as an adaptation of this particular play can be, Much Ado About Nothing is a delight where it matters, and that’s more than enough, especially when it comes to having some mindless fun, which this film embodies quite regularly.