I think there's a time for low key and naturalistic, and then there are those times when making something low key seems to smother the natural beauty of the characters' interactions. The audiences in Shakespeare's time were, of course, those to whom a broad and coarse humor and comedy would be most appealing. But there's a difference between making the humor broad and crass and making it sparkling and sharp.

In this case, the low-key naturalism of Branagh's interpretation drowms the way both the language is used and the internal workings of the characters in general. Branagh's Benedick seems to act as if he takes Beatrice's affection is his due - and there is a lack of wholeheartedness in his struggles to win her. For her part, Thompson's Beatrice capitulates all too easily to Benedick; about the only time we see any fire in her whatsoever (at least in the portion of the film that I saw again the other night) was when she was defending Hero and then putting Benedick in his place for not standing up for her cousin - and even THEN, it felt watered down.

I'll admit I'm biased now. The chemistry between David Tennant and Catherine Tate was very palpable - I wonder just when the production of the Branagh version took place in the ill-fated Branagh/Thompson marriage. I'm wondering if some of the distance I sensed between the characters on screen was due to a growing distance in the actors' personal life.