The place: The estate of Peter's family, tasteful, dignified, with a swimming pool. The people living there: Intelligent, open-minded, tolerant, sympathetic. But Martine is for some residents the object of desire or impetus to the debate. Peter's wife, a therapist must also, to professionally represent the advances of a client. Her daughter sees meanwhile the sticky lewd overtures of her Italian teacher exposed.
Russo-Young observed the bustle, quietly, calmly, not judgmental. Watching them but arise moments of great closeness and wonderful intensity. Elsewhere again, the film keeps the viewer at a distance. The film is beautifully illustrated, sets counterpoints by intelligent counter cuts, but without thereby acting arts and crafts. Another reviewer mentioned and criticized the lack of bandwidth in the context of the narrative. This proves to be so far as applicable, that there are no major fluctuations in the development of the narrative or in terms of expressed emotions in addition to a few exceptions. On the whole, the drama rather developed in a quiet and condensed manner.
Yet the viewer recognizes behind the focus outside of acting involved very well the troubled states of mind, the agony, the emotional helplessness. And the performers turn out in the expression of all and without exception excellent. At the center of it all: Peter and especially Martine. And who is this Martine? A sneaky sly bitch? A young and immature woman helpless in dealing with themselves and others? Or simply an archetype of our time, the social hardship and the competitive pressures of today knowing and therefore all be giving opportunities for themselves (from) taking advantage?
Even the end turns out to be consistent in the entire film-bearing calmness. No big drama in the end, no loud bang - and thus possibly also expectations and viewing habits disappointing. When Martine at the end of the film touches her big sunglasses, then it looks as if it locks out the real world on its own. But the camera lingers then some time on her face, and you get you doubt that you will succeed so. Rather, it seems that they, too, this time it is undamaged.
No really new story hundreds of times already told in a similar or different form. Nevertheless, I have seen this film with great pleasure. The Shape of Things is here not what, rather like the. An auteur film, recommended for all who are not scared of this predicate. It is true, there is no action, there is little external stress. I felt this not as a deficiency. We see the people shown to in a period of her life. And this gives a high degree of internal intensity. The most important thing: The people shown entice a to take part to develop compassion. Or so it can even take a potentially time. Thus, no popcorn cinema. No movie after a hard day, after a hard week. A film mediating rather relaxed for hours, slowing down. And quite a profit.
