Much Ado About Nothing

Joss Whedon's adaptation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is a perfect example of what people should be doing with Shakespeare.

Very often we see the reworking of Shakespeare done in his dramas and when the comedies appear, they're either not known or they simply don't work. What is incredibly impressive about this film is that not only does Whedon and his cast pull it off in a modern context but, after the period of adjusting to Shakespearean form kicks in, it is as funny, if not more so, than most films that have come out in the last 12 months.

This film surprises you, constantly playing on the elegance of language and the crude essence of what the film is about – the ridiculousness of the way these characters handle the validity of a girl's virginity.

While the script is Shakespeare, the direction is clearly Whedon, and his contemporary humour and setting really allow for the silent jokes and the ritzy world in which it is set. There are a lot of actors in the film who have worked for Whedon before but he also has grabbed some online faces from the boys of Atlanta, Georgia sketch comedy duo, BriTANicK, and one half of LA comedy-folk duo Garfunkel & Oates.

This is a film you want to go to the movies for. It's charming and funny and is quite possibly the truest and the best adaptation of Shakespeare you can get without appearing over-intellectualised.

In cinemas Thursday 11 July