Much Ado About Nothing (2012)

You can't fault the dialogue. It's clever and it has worked for literally hundreds of years. But putting the words into the mouths of pretty people in the settings and hairstyles and clothing of the 2000s is wrongheaded, to say the least. And if that were the only problem with this, I might have been able to see past it -- but that's far from the only issue. I mean, the very first scene completely negates both the entire culture of chastity as well as the premise of mutual annoyance of the central couple for each other. What was that about?

Maybe it could've worked in a modern-day setting that deliberately refuses to evolve, perhaps a fundamentalist Mormon compound or in an Amish community, but a woman being put to death for an accusation of promiscuity is not traditional suburban behavior. The overall affect is complete affectation, including the choice to present in black and white. 🙄

D