My pick this week is yet another film I caught on a lark one afternoon while watching cable TV. The Shape of Things is the filmed adaptation of the stage play, both of which were written by Neil LaBute; he also directed it. The movie starred the original theater cast – Gretchen Mol, Paul Rudd, Rachel Weisz and Fred Weller.
When I saw this film, I did not know much about Mr. LaBute’s reputation and previous body of work (I know – for shame). I just remember being quite taken aback by the premise of and outcome of the film. Further investigation led me to discover that the dark and twisted complexities of the male-female relationship dynamic are themes common in his oeuvre. It all started to make sense …
Synopsis (courtesy of Fandango):Paul Rudd stars as Adam, a shy, nerdy English student and museum guard. Rachel Weisz plays art student Evelyn, who, unawares to Adam, takes him on for an ambitious ”project.” He thinks he’s really falling in love with her, but she’s determined to see how much she can transform him into someone else. Co-starring as Adam’s friends are Gretchen Mol and Fred Weller, who can’t understand the new guy he’s becoming.
Check out the trailer here:
