Review of The Shape of Things (2003) by Sasha R — 07 Nov 2007

So this is another movie I've rewatched recently. This was my third time seeing it. Yeah for me this is an emotional mindfuck. While watching the movie for the first time nothing really feels like it is building towards anything.

I remember, while still loving it going, "is this going anywhere?" and then the end comes and everything fits. This is a movie that gets better for me the more I see it. Watching it again knowing what is going to happen makes the movie so much more enjoyable because there is a definite end point.

Roger Ebert says this about Neil Labute the director and writer (he adapted his own play): "LaBute has that rarest of attributes, a distinctive voice. You know one of his scenes at once. His dialogue is the dialogue overheard in trendy mid-scale restaurants, with the words peeled back to suggest the venom beneath.

" It is true and that is why I need to see more Labute films because I love his dialogue and I just really like films like this in general. Everyone is fantastic. Rachel Weisz, who is one of my favorites gives a performance as the type of person I really hate.

And by the end she establishes herself as in my Top 5 Least Favorite Film CHaracters ever. Paul Rudd is more than capable in a dramatic performance and this just proves he is one of the most talented actors working today.

The transformation he goes through both physically and emotionally is subtle yet not at the same time, it's very naturally done in my opinion. Gretchen Mol is great here as well and Fredrick Weller, while I can't tell if he's giving a good or bad performance, either way does his job by getting me to severely dislike him.

The summary sounds really contrived but this film is not. See it and wait for the surprise; it's a goodie.