The Shape of Things

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TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/id1636.ht"><U><B>Drama</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/id1632.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/id1632.ht"><U><B>Based Upon a Play</B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> The Shape of Things</div> <div> <IMG SRC="33a05900.png" border=0 width="261" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="592" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="588"><div> <B>The Shape of Things     </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Wingdings 2" ><B>êêê</B></FONT><B> ½  Stars.   Rated R.</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="588"><div> Reviewed by Shelley Cameron</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="588"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="588" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="588"><div> Designing Woman</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="591" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Paul Rudd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adam</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Rachel Weisz . . . . . . . . . . . . .Evelyn</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Fred Weller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phillip</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Gretchen Mol . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jenny </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="587" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Directed by Neil LaBute</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Drama.  USA.  96 Minutes.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <I>The Shape of Things</I> brings more scathing comments on the state of contemporary society from writer/director Neil LaBute (<I>The Company of Men, </I><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/holiday2002/id1716.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/holiday20"><U><I><B>Possession</B></I></U></A><B>),</B> this time painted on a larger canvas that delves into our image conscience culture and its sway over modern relationships.  Based faithfully on his play of the same title, his unrelenting dark view is evident in spades.  With Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) leading the pack, all four characters at times push the boundaries of better judgement.</div> <bR> <div> Art student Evelyn meets fellow student Adam (Paul Rudd) at the campus museum where he works as a security guard.  She is audacious, brazen, and about to alter a large male nude statue because she believes the fig leaf covering his privates is an assault to the truth of the art.  Because she is insolent, but also beautiful, Adam finds her irresistible.  Something is not quite kosher from the start as sexy, smart Evelyn falls for nerdy Adam.  In fact, this may be an avenue for LaBute to comment on the disposition of the viewer because, as we all know, that sort of gal doesn't go for the exterior on a guy like Adam.  She tells him he's cute, but would be even cuter if he did something about his hair.  Adam falls, hook, line, and sinker, because things like this don't typically happen to him.  This is the first dive underneath the surface of things.</div> <bR> <div> They meet for an evening of theatre with his best friends Phillip and Jenny.  In a thread that runs throughout the film, the play is <I>Hedda Gabbler</I> or <I>Medea</I> or other plays with strong women figures.  Evelyn is ready to spar with these provincial folks on the "marriage track" and gets the opportunity over a news item concerning the vandalism of a certain sculpture at the museum.  As their relationship progresses, Adam finds himself accepting Evelyn's little suggestions for improvement.  He gives up his glasses for contacts.  He loses some weight.  He's wearing new duds.  All this is to the alarm of Phil and Jenny, although not necessarily together nor for the same reasons.  Along the way, Evelyn speaks cryptically about her semester project, and her own metamorphosis into a person she felt more comfortable being.  Adam is not quite sure what she is saying all of the time and balks, a little, at her alterations.  Just as the literary references cast aspersions on us if we're not quite sure what LaBute is getting at, Adam is not quite sure what Evelyn is about, but loves the new found attention and the sex.  </div> <bR> <div> In addition to the ethics of deliberately changing a person to suit, the film exposes the whole notion so prevalent in film that good looking women may act disdainfully, even downright abusively, and men will find that fascinatingly attractive.  Later they are shocked, . . .shocked, at being treated badly.  That particular paradox is the basic premise on which Evelyn builds her relationship to Adam.  In the process much is altered, reshaped: Philip's and Adam's long standing friendship, Jenny and Phil's engagement, Adam and Jenny's veiled mutual attraction.  Building to a conclusion that is perhaps as painful to watch as to experience, there is undeniably something excruciatingly true going on.   </div> <bR> <div> Visuals are marked by heavy use of bold red in the interior spaces, in sharp contrast to the bucolic campus of Mercy (irony everywhere) College.  The cast is the original from the stage production and repeats its successful chemistry.  Rachel Weisz captures the self-attributed noble Evelyn with even-toned perfection.  Paul Rudd does a very believable shift from uncool to cool in a clueless sort of way, never wanting to admit that he might not be seeing things quite clearly.  Gretchen Mol as sweet Jenny shows herself capable of extending her claws and Fred Weller as Phillip, annoys at first, but in the end imparts a straightforward what you see is what you get guy.</div> <div>  </div> <div> The score with songs by Elvis Costello provide the ideal accompaniment.  What Adam never sees coming is that he is receiving a lesson.  Just what that lesson is, LaBute asks rather than answers. Evelyn's philosophy distorts the axiom that truth is beauty and begs the question: Whose truth?  Is it that people (perhaps specifically young people in a formative stage of life) might ingest films like this one and then by example, shape culture or is it a reflection of how culture is shaped by our shallow reactions to what seems to be valuable in others?  It is doubtful if any of these fictional relationships will weather this storm and survive but the film is guaranteed to give the viewer some serious food for thought. </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="592" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="588"><div> Shelley Cameron <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Symbol" >Ó</FONT> 2003</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="588"><div> <A HREF="mailto:shlcameron@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:shlcameron@aol.com"><U><U>Shelley@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>