Much Ado About Nothing: Joss Whedon’s choices for this play are good evidence that strong writing (and a Shakespeare play will almost by default qualify) works in almost any setting, particularly if anchored by good acting. The cast, for the most part, makes the Bard’s words sing and dance, bringing the lovely farce to life. The film has a very simple, unadorned look (to be expected considering how the project came to life) and the black-and-white cinematography is just serviceable; since that doesn’t distract from the main attraction, it’s not really a weakness.