The Shape of Things

Starring: Gretchen Mol, Paul Rudd, Rachel Weisz, Fred Weller
Directed by: Neil LaBute
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy
2003

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A dorky student (Paul Rudd) meets a beautiful art student (Rachel Weisz), and the two begin dating. Suddenly, she convinces him to change nearly everything about himself- much to the concern of his friends (Gretchen Mol, Fred Weller).

Review:

Tim: Neil LaBute gives us a movie that you will probably either love or hate. It is a controversial, shocking, provocative movie that makes you question things like art, humanity, and morality. This movie at first comes across as a romantic dramedy- but underneath the surface, LaBute is cooking an unforgettable plot. Myself, I can't say that I really loved or hated it. There were certain parts of this movie that I loved- LaBute's genius shines through in his fearlessness to tell unconventional stories that will anger people, undoubtedly. Other parts of this film I pretty much hated. It wasn't nearly effective enough and featured some occasionally spotty acting. Still, like it or not, this is an achievement in some sense.

This movie features the same cast as the play, and unfortunately, this movie does have that translated-from-the-stage feel. I believe that somewhat hurts the movie, as it feels like something is missing throughout the picture. However, the cast is pretty strong. Rachel Weisz gives a controversial, engaging, strong performance that undoubtedly pushed her in her acting ability. It was not an easy or simple role, and she handled it very well. Weisz is a remarkable actress, and those abilities shine through here. I also really liked the performance of Paul Rudd. Rudd brilliantly has been crafting an amazing (and under-the-radar) career, and he gives a great effort here. He lost 25 pounds for the role, and that effort is appreciated. I also really enjoyed Gretchen Mol in her role. She is likable, kind, and it made me desperately wish she had more screentime. I've been surprised how much I've been impressed with Mol over the years, and this is another easy-to-overlook but solid role. Fred Weller rounded out the cast, and did a decent enough job.

The Shape of Things is interesting because it is many things all at once. The movie starts almost as a straight-up romantic comedy. Over the next 45 minutes or so, it quickly becomes a romantic drama, then almost a straight-up drama. And then, near the end, the movie takes another turn. Without giving anything away (I hesitate to even mention the twist because I never saw it coming), the movie takes an unexpected, shocking turn which makes you question absolutely everything you saw up to that point. In this moment, LaBute saves the movie from a much worse fate (until the twist, this was only a barely decent film) by making it something unbelievable and surprising. In many ways, this is a movie that you can't really appreciate until the moment it ends- and then (and only then) do you start to understand what this movie was actually all about.

While there are elements of genius present here, this is not a great movie. As I mentioned, the movie wears on our patience before the twist near the end. The film is certainly decent, but it holds our interest only precariously. I did feel bored a few times, and the characters were only halfway interesting. Plus, the twist, while controversial, is a bit of a downer and in some ways, ruins whatever thoughts you might have had about the film up to this point. It almost felt like LaBute willingly sacrificed the quality of the film (and the play) to tell a shockingly controversial story. Fair enough, but that doesn't help us, who are left with a film that despite flashes of pure genius, is only a fairly decent movie- not a very good one.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: In the Company of Men, The Ten, The Constant Gardener, About a Boy, Beautiful Creatures