In fair Verona, nope. In fair Loggins and Messina, no. In some random Italian town where people have jobs like "Frolicker" and "Spoken Word Poet," Duke Leonato (Richard Briers) prepares to receive Don Pedro (Denzel Washington) and his entourage, fresh from winning a battle over Don John (Keanu Reeves), the prince's brother. The duke is very excited about spending an enormous amount of time and money on an uninvited houseguest and his 40 best friends because he's hoping to catch the prince's eye with his daughter, Hero (Kate Beckinsale). Don Pedro notices that his retainer, Count Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard), likes Hero and agrees to set up the match between them instead. All seems well, so well that Don Pedro adds a side quest of getting his friend Benedick (Kenneth Branagh) and Hero's cousin Beatrice (Emma Thompson) to hook up. But Don John, inexplicably allowed to walk around freely and consult with henchmen despite having just been arrested for treason, arranges to ruin the union by making it appear that Hero is unchaste. Fuckery ensues. Feelings are hurt. Reputations are ruined. Blood oaths are sworn. And it looks like Don John is going to have the last (stilted, wooden) laugh until the humble friar (Jimmy Yuill) comes up with a plan to save the day.
This is one of my favorite Shakespeare adaptations but I will freely tell you that the gender politics of it are complete trash. Also, Leonard and Reeves are woefully miscast and Michael Keaton is acting in a completely different film.
But (!) if you can ignore those things and maybe drink a couple of glasses (bottles) of wine and break out the charcuterie board, this is still a really good time. Thompson and Washington are the stand-outs here but the cast is filled with pros and it very much seems like everyone understood what they were doing and why. I found the third act a little choppy in terms of pacing, but your mileage may vary. Overall, it's a solid hazy summer movie with beautiful sets and very pretty people. It's streaming on Tubi for free.
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