The Shape of Things, 2003 (Grade D)

Director: Neil LaBute

Awards? None I know of

Cast: Paul Rudd; Rachel Weisz; Gretchen Mol; Fred Weller

plot summary:  When shy, insecure English student Adam (Paul Rudd) begins a relationship with radical art student Evelyn (Rachel Weisz), she takes charge of his life and brings about extreme  changes in him. Evelyn's motivations finally are revealed and they are shocking in this adaptation of a play by writer-director Neil LaBute about the lengths to which people go for acceptance and for love

sez says:  We saw this play and felt if didn't do a good job getting to the real points that the story held--so we rented the movie to see if the playwright (LaBute) did sometime different with the story on film than we had seen done on stage.  To our disappointment, we found the movie to be weak. The acting was off; the story barley came through at all. Why?? It is an interesting, challenging story,,,but you'd have to work hard to find the serious questions it is asking in the movie. Maybe LaBute should stick to writing and back off from directing. 

mjc says: it is hard to evaluate the movie having seen the play and thus already knowing the plot.  But the transformation of Adam is better executed in the movie than it was in the play --but the art student actress in the movie was no where as good as the actress we say in the play.