Much Ado About Nothing

A wonderful antedote to my Tosca angst -- my third viewing of Kenneth Brannagh's movie version of Much Ado About Nothing. This is one of the happiest movies I've ever seen. I was reminded of that especially in the scene with both Beatrice and Benedict realized they were in love. Beatrice swings like a child up into the sky and back and forth and Benedict walks around in a fountain splashing water about like a child. They are not being childish; they are, like children, totally lost in the joy of discovering love. Right from the opening scene, when the workers in the vineyards hear the victorious soldier are going to visit them, they react with spontaneous joy. The audience knows immediately what the theme of this movie/story is going to be -- rarely do we see a movie with more scenes of happiness. I'm sure I could add others, immediately a scene from Mama Mia comes to mind with dancing and singing. But it is rare that movie makers make joy a major component -- and not only youthful joy, we see it in the faces of the older characters as well, a joie de vivre. This makes the movie very special and possibly the only one I've ever seen three times.