June 17th, 2009 Graig
Though my experience with Shakespeare has been limited, I have to say that there’s been nary a bad one, save for those few plays I’ve had the unfortunate attempt at reading. Performed or re-interpreted, I quite all right with, and in some cases, downright love. Heck, I want to do a “re-telling” of one or two myself someday, but I digress.
I haven’t seen any of old Bill’s comedies, so this Re-told was my first exposure to the fanciful and whimsical grandaddy of the modern romantic comedy. Yes, it’s completely bastardized, but I trust, like the Kitchen Confidentialized “Macbeth” (see “all-new #55″) that it keeps the spirit and much of the structure of its source while also having fun with it’s modern interpretation.
This “Much Ado…” is set in a regional British news programme, where Beatrice, the anchor of the programme, is saddled with her ex-boyfriend (3 years gone) as her new co-anchor. The two snip profusely at each other, although occasionally having their tender (and brief) moments in between. Their combativeness is putting the integrity of the program in jeopardy, so the show’s producer, director, and its lovebird weathergirl, Hero, and sports anchor, Claudio, connive to bring them together. Things do heat up between them at Hero and Claudio’s wedding, but a bitter, jealous, and spiteful coworker with eyes for Hero is intent on mucking up the event in devious ways.
The cast is fantastic. Foxy Sarah Parrish plays the hot-tempered Beatrice, squaring off against Life star Damian Lewis, who cast sleaze and charm with equal fervor. Doctor Who’s Billie Piper plays the ditzy Hero, and the equally ditzy Claudio is played by Tom Ellis, but both roles demand surprisingly more out of them as their story takes over in the third act. Overall, it’s charming and funny with exceptional chemistry between the leads.
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