While "the course of true love never did run smooth," Joss Whedon's jazzy, sparkly foray into Shakespeare adaptations looks velvety. His take on Much Ado About Nothing is shot mostly in black and white, with restrained splashes of color. Underscored by St. Germain's Rose Rouge, the swingy sampling of Marlena Shaw crooning "I want you to get together" repeatedly, it sets up what seems more like a self-aware battle of wits rather than a maudlin romance.
Mostly it looks cool and sexy and creative. Key shot: one of the gentleman wearing a snorkel, gripping a martini glass in a lake. Will you see it?