Wdnesday, July 21, 1993 - The M 'thgan Daily Summer Weely -9 'I shut my eyes in order to see.' - PaulGauguin Midsummer's sex romp By COLLEEN OLLE Act I. Scene I. [Outside a movie theater in Ann Arbor.] Enter An assortment of Women and Men (bent on seeing Kenneth Branagh's "Much Ado About Noth- ing"), Members of the Society of Cre- ative Anachronisms (garbed in medi- Much Ado About othing Directed and adapted by Kenneth Branagh; with Kenneth Branagh, Robert Sean Leonard, Emma Thompson and Denzel Washington. eval finery and armed with fife and juggling balls to entertain the line of eager theater patrons) and a Humble uthor. Woman. "Peter's Friends" did please me so this last December, and "Dead Again" (1991) sent shivers up my spine. "Henry V" won much ac- claim, so I expect no less from Branagh's "Much Ado About Noth- ing." Man. Yea, 'tis true the actor-direc- tor knows his stuff, but methinks the world reluctant to listen to them whose peech'sasgarbledasagrackle's.E'en Wh day, the old Bard Shakespeare plumbs the depthsofour souls, buthis words lie like stagnant pools - too murky for an audience to glean the gold beneath. Woman. No, no. Prick thy ears for but 14 minutes and the words clear up! Ah! [to a Member in a jester's suit] Pray you juggle a ball for me! Member. [sliding aglassorbon the ck of his hands] I pray you, lady, give me your name. To juggle but one ballnoonehase'er askedme. [Theline moves forward.] Author. Comelet's watch the film! Scene II. [In a dark room of the theater.] Enter Moviegoers and a Humble Author. 1 Goer. Wilt thou not gaze on that panoramaofverdantmountains,white- gowned women and golden sunshine? Branaghwaswisetofilmthisata14th- century villa near Greve, Italy. 2 Goer. Through the hills thunder the horses of the conquering heroes home from the war. With loud shouts, Don Pedro(princely Denzel Washing- ton) and his men raise their fists. By troth, had I not known this to be Shakespeare, I'd swear wewere catch- ing the end of a western. What think you, friend? Author. It brims o'er with laughter, dancing and music, swells with sun- shine and ripples with romance till my headfeelslight. Ay, "Much Ado"doth coil its fairy-tale skein around us too oft, but the players prove their mettle and make seeing it worth the while. LookonBeatrice(EmmaThompson), the mirthful woman whose barbed wit keeps all men at bay, just as she list. Theavowedbachelor, Benedick(Ken- neth Branagh),counters the lady'sver- baljabs with his own sharp tongue and keepsusall in stitches with theirbattle of banter. Perceptive Don Pedro, who dothsuspecttheirironyconcealashared affection, contrives with the family to make Beatrice and Benedick declare their love for each other. The romance between Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard) and Hero (Kate Beckinsale) dothprovemorepoignantthanplayful, as the virulentcount woos theinnocent maid for marriage. 2 Goer. Why, how now? Young Claudio doth slander his betrothed at the altar! Could he believe Don John (KeanuReeves),athe villainous bastard ridden withjealousyofhishalf-brother Don Pedro? 1 Goer. Claudio doth believe his eyes, too, forlBorachio(Gerard Horan) called out, "Hero!" though he did lie with herattendant.Seeing is believing, so they say. Leonard plays his part - one neither plausible nor palatable to a modern audience - quite credibly when werecallthe Renaissance's con- demnation of women who seemed wanton. Author.Yea, Leonard's vacillation between ardor and anger sits more readily with me than Don John's mel- ancholy. Marry, Reeve's evil charac- ter must cast a pall where'er he walk, buthisgloomhathnodepth.Heputsno substance in his dour act but sulks and skulks through this comedy like a worm-ridden hound. I would he'd stayed in San Dimas. 2 Goer. Ha Ha! Here come Dogberry (Michael Keaton) and his sidekick, Verges (Ben Elton), ready to expose the plot to Leonato (Richard Briers). Mark their Holy-Grail ap- proach-gallopingoninvisiblehorses. Keaton's quite the comic. He mangles English with averboseearnestness that makes my eyes tear. Dost thou catch the turns of his rapid speech? 1 Goer. Ay, though it take a 'vigitant' ear! Author.Praythee,watchthytongue. Methinks "Much Ado"dostmake thee prattleintoooddamanner.With asun- drenched setting and a star-studded cast, "Much Ado"doth woous with an "Eat, drink and be merry" simplicity. Branagh lists to set us under a Shakespeareanplanetand,by my troth, there's much to learn and love in his theatricalfilms. Soget thee toatheater - and that is my conclusion. MUCH ADOABOUT NOTHING is playing at the Ann Arbor 1 & 2. 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