It's all about the shape of things A young Paul Rudd and Rachel Weisz are an unusual type of romantic leads in a contemporary story of love and art based on an eponymous play Neil LaBute of 'Crying Game' fame centers on two people: Weisz plays Evelyn, Rudd plays Adam who meet in an art museum He's shocked to find out she says yes asking her on a date They both seem to hit it off but his college friends start noticing changes in Adam's behavior whenever Evelyn is around She's making him dress differently act differently even getting plastic surgery They're worried her emotional hold on him is too strong Then the relationships and loyalties between all of them start to be tested Many of the central themes here revolve around stoicism, limit of art, psychopathy, intimacy, and peoples willingness to do things for love Relationships are good but there's still possibility for them to be cruel and hurtful If it isn't one party member it's usually multiple ones This is an alright effort by LaBute but it dives deep into cruelty as well as emotional violence Whether for art or notoriety there are lengths some people are willing to go sometimes even the worst ones

Rachel Weisz is pure evil in this.

It's horrible how Evelyn took advantage of Adam and of his love and trust. I couldn't believe she could do something like that, I mean how did the author thought of such a terrible thing?!

What a miserable uncomfortable experience, there was no comedy at all, just the discomfort of watching people at each others throat. with unbearable characters, The embarrassment of betrayal, ultimately to be nothing more then a sadistic joke by a sociopath, under the false idea of art...after enduring a film of non stop squirming, one would hope for a satisfying resolution... no luck here.... just left feeling like I wanted back the last hour and a half of my life.... . if this character is an artist then so was Ted Bundy, except Ted Bundy was fascinating, this character wasn't.

Tedious and cynical, the potential for a light romantic comedy was dashed by the uneven dialog in the musem at the start of the film and the obvious manipulation of Rudd's puppy dog character by Weisz, who was only missing the stilettos and a dog chain. Don't try so hard.

Together with IN THE COMPANY OF MEN and YOUR NEIGHBOURS & FRIENDS, Neil LaBute's adaptation of his own play critiquing our obsession with desirability and moral absence in artmaking make up the thrillingly provocative trilogy on modern day sexual warfare.

Watched the movie few weeks ago using boxxy software. This is director Neil LaBute's play. It's basically four speaking parts. That can be very odd for the average movie goer. It feels like a play set outside in the world. There is something original about this movie. It's beautifully shot. I like the premise. It has great actors. The reveal is brutal, but I do wish for more emotional fireworks. It could be more devastating. Adam claims that he can't show his face on the street. The movie should show some of that between the presentation and the confrontation. It would allow the final confrontation to be even more powerful.

Don't like the ending, no lesson for the manipulator.

Let down by cover, title and tagline, this turned out to be yet another unexpected little triumph starring Rudd (alongside The Fundamentals Of Caring). Only 14 years late to the party but still... if there's someone reading this who is not convinced, this is so much more than a love story. Please watch it, see it through to its end and I bet you an emotional diachronic mindfuck that you won't be disappointed.

Good performances in a stagy adaptation of LaBute's play.

While it is clear what Neil LaBute is aiming for -- the whole set-up of the movie is far too complex to carry any level of realism. And, it is also a very bitter and cruel movie. ...Intentionally so, but without the normal LaBute skill to pull it off.

Se tivesse acabado com 1:20 seria um dos melhores finais dos filmes contemporâneos (nem tanto por ser surpreendente, mas pela forma e impacto), mas decidiram continuar e diminuíram um pouco o poder. Mesmo assim um ótimo filme que transita entre a tensão sexual, a comédia e o drama através de uma condução, por vezes, impecável; uma trilha sonora adequadíssima e um ritmo muito inteligente. Também passou batido por aqui, apesar de alguns bons atores e vale muito a pena conferir.

Rachel Weisz is great, but this film slightly disappointed me.

This movie starts out slow at first, and the first time I watched it, I admittedly did not give it much of a chance. Finally, I watched it in its entirety and was not disappointed. The characters, Evelyn and Adam, are seemingly a blossoming couple at first; but Evelyn has ulterior motives, and she slowly but surely "shapes" Adam into what he will eventually become. The ending shocked me, and that's what I like the most about this film: its ability to surprise, and also its proficiency in lending insight into the question of morality, and the true nature of humanity at its lowest. A very clever film worth watching.

What almost worked on stage, just doesn't work on the screen.

As an adaption, it's serviceable, but as a separate work of art, it's interesting with subtle performances, while being occasionally dotted with awkward movements and terrible pop songs.

Neil LaBute, one of my favorite playwrights, is the master at injecting witty, acerbic humor into the rotten, damaged core of human relationships. While his characters are often shocking, their relationships to one another ring true in the most brutally honest sense. "The Shape of Things", based on LaBute's popular NY play, is a wonderful achievement. Not only is the original stage cast game for another go-round of twisted but hilarious arguments, but their portrayals are almost stunningly real. Everyone here is terrific, but it's Rachel Weisz who really steals the movie as Evelyn, the art student from hell.

Starts off and plays like a typical comedy romance. Its all cutey and somewhat predicatable but by the time it ends it does have a little deeper message then what is expected. I didn't think I would like it but it did surprise me.

There's something really addictive about Neil LaBute's particular brand of mean, and Paul Rudd is great as always.

Effective horror cruelly induced by a sociopathic female on an unwitting innocent nerd. Well-made but hard to watch because of the cruel nature of the subject matter. A very unpleasant film.