Pop genius, blockbuster author and director Joss Whedon (TOY STORY, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, THE AVENGERS) has made a snappy, modern rendition of Shakespeare’s famous comedy. The film was shot at his house, entirely in black and white over a period of 12 days. Whedon produced, directed and also composed the soundtrack for the film. He makes the incompetent Dogberry (played by Nathan Fillion, the spaceship pirate from “Firefly”) a small town. He makes a conscious decision to keep what is, for contemporary viewers, a racist quote from Shakespeare ("...were she an Ethiope..." a synonym for an ugly bride) to drastically underscore just how superficial the young lover Claudio is – Whedon then does cuts to a beautiful black woman in the audience rolling her eyes. The accomplice to the malevolent Don John (Sean Maher) is made into an attractive bad girl without changing the original text. The scoundrel appears particularly corrupt when he reveals his plans to her while they are in bed together. And “Sigh no more”, one of Shakespeare’s most famous melodies is like a relaxing guitar piece. Whedon’s adaptation develops a playful and improvised charm that one doesn’t even give a second’s thought to the plot’s implausibility. Beatrice and Benedick steal the show with their bouts of verbal wit. Amy Acker plays a fantastic and acerbic Beatrice and Alex Denisof the elegant Benedick.

Christoph Selzer