I'm going to come right out and admit I have not fully read the play Much Ado About Nothing. Neither did I fully understand everything the actors in the film were saying. However, the performances the actors give allows you to grasp what they are saying, through both their body language, how they say every syllable, and also how Joss Whedon overall directs the movie.
The plot is somewhat hard to grasp. The basic synopsis is this: Leonato (Clark Gregg), the governor of Messina, is visited by his friend Don Pedro (Reed Diamond) who is returning from a victorious campaign against his rebellious brother Don John (Sean Maher). Accompanying Don Pedro are two of his officers: Benedick (Alexis Denisof) and Claudio (Fran Kranz). While in Messina, Claudio falls for Leonato's daughter Hero (Jillian Morgese), while Benedick verbally spars with Beatrice (Amy Acker), the governor's niece. The budding love between Claudio and Hero prompts Don Pedro to arrange with Leonato for a marriage.
There is a huge cast, so I'm not going to go into every specific character. However my three favorites were Clark Gregg, Fran Kranz, and Nathan Fillion. Clark Gregg is charismatic as Leonato, and Fran Kranz sells all his scenes with his slightly timid approach to Claudio, though the parts where he has to yell and become enraged are a blast to watch, and work just as well as all the comedic moments. My favorite though, has to be Nathan Fillion. Though he wasn't in it much, once he does show up he gives a hilarious performance. His greatest scenes are with Tom Lenk. The two are a great team on-screen and have a lot of fun with their "serious" roles.
The black and white, while it doesn't add to the movie, is a great touch. Joss Whedon knows what style he wants for the film and makes it work. I loved that the cellphones were the letters characters received, and at one point they casually play music from an iPod. I thought that was a brilliant touch. The contemporary setting isn't as jarring as I thought it would be, and by the end of the film, you've come to accept it in this intriguing, slightly awkward universe.
II don't know how much of the brilliant humor was the actual dialogue, the actors giving great performances, or Joss Whedon's smart directing, but it worked. My entire audience, (of all age groups), were laughing throughout the movie.
So overall I really loved Much Ado About Nothing. The comedy and romance was very well executed in both the performances and the style of the cinematography Whedon chose. While using the original text puts much of the audience at a disadvantage, you really begin to warm up to the style by the halfway point, and from there film dominates.
Much Ado About Nothing is easily one of the greatest films in theaters this summer.