Paul Rudd and Rachel Weisz star in this interesting romantic comedy of sorts about a nerdy man who, over the course of a relationship, evolves into a handsome and confident guy, but at what costs? The Shape of Things explores an interesting love triangle and boasts a superb ending that gives an original flare to the romance genre.

The Shape of Thing has Adam (Paul Rudd) as a slightly overweight, nerdy and rather pathetic being who meets a grad student (Rachel Weisz), a beautiful girl who sees the inner beauty of his character. They begin to date and as they do he becomes more confident, but she also wants to affect his exterior as well. Whether it be a diet or nose job, he begins to look more handsome, which increases the attraction between him and his best friend's fiancée (Gretchen Mol).

The movie may not sound all that different from other romantic comedies of the past, and in many ways, it is hardly a comedy. It is more dramatic than anything else, but cannot really be considered a drama, either. The movie just is, somewhat entertaining and strangely captivating, though it boasts no hilarious scenes and many quirky characters. It is hard to nail down exactly what is intriguing about this film, but there is something there.

Nevertheless, this movie would be nothing without something that sets it apart from other similar films - the ending. The Shape of Things, if it ever becomes known, will be known for its amazing twist ending, a cruel but immensely satisfying conclusion to a quirky film. I watched the ending twice and it was just as good the second time around.

The Shape of Things won't appeal to everyone, and two-thirds of it is just moderately entertaining, but the ending is so good that there is no reason not to watch. In fact, the ending may very well make you want to watch it again.

Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.