neumu [ cinematronic ]




	The Shape Of Things
	Neil LaBute Rachel Weisz, Paul Rudd, Gretchen Mol, Frederick Weller 2003		Neil LaBute's latest polemical drama/satire confronts gender conflict in a no-holds-barred spirit that recalls the writer/director's scathing first film, "In the Company of Men." "The Shape of Things" is a lucid, devastating screen adaptation of his well-received play about love, friendship, manipulation, self-esteem, self-deception, the nature of art and the responsibility of the artist. For the movie version, LaBute had the good fortune and good sense to utilize the same cast that performed the play in its London and New York premieres: Rachel Weisz, Paul Rudd, Gretchen Mol and Frederick Weller. Evelyn (Weisz), a slinky, extroverted art student, hooks up with Adam (Rudd), a nice, somewhat doughy nerd, encouraging him to improve his appearance. But Adam's engaged friends, Jenny (Mol) and Philip (Weller), are increasingly disturbed by his changes. With familiarity born of on-stage experience, the actors could've projected an air of over-rehearsal. Instead, their characterizations seem innate. "The Shape of Things," which makes smart use of Elvis Costello songs and bold color schemes, is a thoughtful look at the cruelties humans can willfully unleash on one another.