In this Shakespearean farce, Hero and her groom-to-be, Claudio, team up with Claudio's commanding officer, Don Pedro, the week before their wedding to hatch a matchmaking scheme. Their targets are sharp-witted duo Benedick and Beatrice -- a tough task indeed, considering their corresponding distaste for love and each other. Meanwhile, meddling Don John plots to ruin the wedding.
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award5 wins & 11 nominations total
Top Critics Reviews
fresh:
Kenneth Branagh...has done it again.
– Vincent Canby,
New York Times,
20 May 2003
fresh:
There's much to commend in Branagh's pruned, international version of Shakespeare's troubling comedy.
– Derek Adams,
Time Out,
9 Feb 2006
fresh:
Continuously enjoyable from its action-filled opening to the dazzling final shot...
– Todd McCarthy,
Variety,
2 Jul 2008
fresh:
[Branagh] has found his way to the play's profound yet populist heart, rediscovering Shakespeare's vision of romantic fulfillment - celebration with an underlying tug of sadness - for an era that believes itself all too wise to the ways of love.
– Owen Gleiberman,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep 2011
fresh:
A spirited, winningly acted rendition of one of the Bard's most popular comedies.