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The Shape of Things

The Shape of Things

Comedy · Drama · Romance · 2003

Quiet, unassuming Adam is changing in a major way, thanks to his new girlfriend, art student Evelyn. Adam's friends are a little freaked by the transformation.

Movie details

The Shape of Things

“Seduction Is An Art”

2003 Comedy · Drama · Romance 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.1 / 10

Community rating

Quiet, unassuming Adam is changing in a major way, thanks to his new girlfriend, art student Evelyn. Adam's friends are a little freaked by the transformation.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Shape of Things?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Class

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The Man from Elysian Fields

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Drama · 2001

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Neil LaBute

Written by

Neil LaBute

Paul Rudd

Paul Rudd

Adam

Gretchen Mol

Gretchen Mol

Jenny

Rachel Weisz

Rachel Weisz

Evelyn Ann Thompson

Frederick Weller

Frederick Weller

Phillip

Court is in session

Put The Shape of Things on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.