SPLICE (2010)

DIRECTOR: Vincenzo Natali

STARRING: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Chanéac

Anyone who’s seen the film Cube would probably understand why the prospect of seeing this film was exciting. Also directed by Vincenzo Natali, Cube struck me as a disturbing examination of how people react under extreme circumstances. I haven’t heard of the director since Splice came around, and since then I’ve been looking forward to seeing what he had up his sleeve. I am pleased to say that my expectations were met.

Splice follows two young scientists, Clive (Brody) and Elsa (Polley). The couple has recently found success and notoriety from their work with splicing the DNA of different species to create new species, hoping to find medical breakthroughs by studying their genetic makeup. Having already created Fred and Ginger, a pair of weird pig hybrids, they want to take the next scientific step by splicing human DNA — the reason, of course, being to find cures to cancer, Alzheimer’s, and so on. Their superiors, however, aren’t interested in taking the ethical risk, and instead want to focus on making a profit via Fred and Ginger. Being the insatiable scientists that they are, Elsa and Clive won’t take no for an answer, and they secretly begin their own experiment. The result is Dren (Chanéac), a beautiful and strange creature who ends up pushing her creators to more than one limit.

The story here isn’t necessarily original and, unfortunately, could have used some tightening — as could the script. There were a few moments where the characters stumbled upon a few clichéd lines, and Elsa’s traumatic back-story felt a little too contrived at times. But as far as gripes go, that is about all I’ve got.

The rest of the film really fulfilled what I’d hoped it would be. The trailer marketed it as a jump-out-of-your-seat thrill ride, but, thank God, it wasn’t. It was disturbing on an emotional level, which is quite hard for a film of this genre to pull off. The magic lies entirely in Dren: one of the most memorable characters I’ve seen in a long time whom turns out to be more human than the actual humans. She manages to bring up a lot issues that aren’t often addressed in science fiction films — parenting, ownership, control, sexuality, freedom, and, of course, ethics! Morality! Whether or not we have the right to play God and then patent it. Wonderful things to think about, though part of me wonders if audiences would rather just see the monster go haywire and try to kill everyone. So, in that regard, perhaps this isn’t for everyone. Keep in mind that it’s more of a cautionary/morality tale than a thriller.

All in all, I was satisfied. Not blown out of my seat, not mesmerized, but an impact was definitely made. It may not be for everyone, but those who go with an open mind may find a worthwhile experience.

FINAL GRADE: B