Love's a bitch with LaBute's latest

"The Shape of Things" is a brutally honest dark comedy about love, control, sex and image that is much deeper than its surface suggests. It's a complex, funny ride, but it ain't pretty.\n Adam (Paul Rudd) is a shy, soft-spoken guy until he meets Evelyn (Rachel Weisz), an adventurous art student who not-so-indirectly changes him. Taking her suggestions on losing weight, changing his image and getting a nose job, he becomes a completely different person. It's a somewhat sadistic, misogynistic story of feminine control -- a fall from grace left by the scars of nabbing that fruit from the tree. Adam and Eve(lyn) seem like a happy couple: the manipulative, loving temptress and her little puppet. \n The film (based on writer/director Neil LaBute's play) is an intense, four person act with a brilliant script full of witty dialogue and great performances. Rudd is amazing and Weisz is astounding -- you forget they're acting. The camerawork is smart and unafraid of long takes -- knowing when to cut and when to sit still and let the players act. It's hard to settle on a judgment of the film. I have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with it. The characters walk a fine line of moral ambiguity, and when the final act (which will emotionally ruin the audience) ensued, I found myself offended by the events, yet understanding of the points made. It's a tough lesson learned the hard way, which is exactly what the characters experience. But it's still mean as hell.\n LaBute directs the story with harsh reality, reminiscent of his equally mean-spirited "In the Company of Men." Like "Company," the story is a complex morality tale. It warns to be picky in choosing those to love and put your trust in, for these decisions are not to be made lightly. With such a negative portrait, the film indirectly suggests that if you're lucky enough to find true love, it's all the more priceless. "The Shape of Things" is thought-provoking; challenging what defines love and art, examining itself in the process. It powerfully comments on how our culture is obsessed with the surface, the shape of things and what everyone's willing to do to improve their image.