What: Filming party scenes is tricky --- so many people largely speaking so much nonsense --- but there are ways to do it effectively. One choice, as seen in last year's The Great Gatsby, is to Baz Luhrman your way to a glitzy, decadent, sensory-overload spectacle, which can certainly be a dazzling route to take, particularly on the big screen.
Joss Whedon chooses a different path for his home-video version of Much Ado About Nothing --- he makes Shakespeare's most famous comedy into an extended (and admirably booze-filled) house party. Whedon and his characters love words, especially clever words, so all the clever Shakespearean dialogue still cuts through the characters' muddled decision-making and buzzed emotions.
It's not a party to goggle at, but it's a party you desperately want to join. (Not least because Fran Kranz is there, albeit in the unpalatable role of Claudio. But I digress.)
Representative quote: "I wish my horse had the speed of your tongue."
How to get it: Currently available to stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Connection to previous Wreckage: This version of Much Ado About Nothing was on List #36: A Couple of the Best Movies I Saw in 2013.
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