Misanthropic, mischievous but keenly-observed battle epics based around the war of the sexes are LaBute’s speciality, and his latest outing The Shape of Things fits the bill perfectly.
At the risk of sounding snotty, I can think of far more appealing ways to spend my time than sitting in darkened cinemas watching people being tied to chairs and brutalised with knives
If you're actively looking for reasons to dislike this movie, there's no shortage of them, but if you're prepared to roll with it and take it on its own terms, you'll be rewarded richly in terms of entertainment.
The old actor in Mr Oldham has never forgotten the importance of making a strong visual impression – and with his mixture of Chaplin tramp, chimney corner minstrel and death row pen-pal, you’ll certainly never confuse him with anyone else.
