Nothing To It

A couple of people are trying to convince an actor to kiss another man for a Shakespearean play.

Two actors are on a theatre stage, doing rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet by acclaimed English playwright and poet William Shakespeare. However, there is a catch: Juliet is played by a man. The actor playing Juliet is Dane (Cassidy) and Romeo is Rio (McCallum) and the rehearsal is being supervised by the director Taz (Spevack). Things are going well, that is until they get to the part where the two leads kiss. Dane is not comfortable with that action and repeatedly refuses to perform it. Can he be persuaded?

A short Shakespeare-themed comedy that centers on the idea that heterosexual men believe that kissing another man (on the lips) is embarrassing and Dane certainly shows that as he behaves like a stubborn little boy, refusing to perform the ''daring'' act. Rio and Taz try to make him understand that kissing for a role does not mean anything because it is just acting. And that seems to be a point that the film is trying to make: that acting is just acting and the actions done by a person while they are acting do not have any significance because they are ''not real'', they are just pretending.

This light-hearted film benefits greatly by the amusing performances, especially by Cassidy. Watching him on stage, dressed in period female clothing (wig included) and reciting words from Shakespeare's play with a quirky and childish voice (ostensibly attempting to sound like a woman) will most likely make the viewer grin. McCallum and Spevack add significantly to the amusement, with the former being a cheeky actor and the latter being a sweet and kind theatre director.

Acknowledgement goes to the period costumes, a fine work by Bev Sweeney and the make-up by Nike Johnston also looks great.

The very first shot is to be recognised. The film begins with a wonderful poster image of Romeo and Juliet by English Victorian painter and illustrator Frank Dicksee and it was an excellent choice.

The choice of music during the beginning and the closing credits was wise as it creates a kind of feeling that makes the viewer think of the time of Shakespeare.

Generally, this short is three-and-a-half minutes of entertainment. From another perspective, it explores the theory that sometimes people think too much of things and when they actually do them, it tends to be less significant than they thought.