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Splice (2009)
Gene Splicing, Big Pharma & Family "Love" Like We Have Never Seen Before
Every year a select few films are released that invoke very strong reactions from their audiences. There is often no middle ground with these films. These films illicit one of two reactions "love it" or "hate it." I wish more of these films were released. These films cause discussion, discussion causes people to think, when people are forced to think this causes the film to be memorable. Memorable films, loved and hated, are what film-making is all about. Directors set out to make films that people will talk about and ultimately remember.
Director Vincenzo Natali has effectively done this twice now. He first caused many to talk about one of his early films Cube. IT is difficult to find a sci-fi/horror fan that did not see that film. I remember having many discussions in this ancient thing called a chat room about Cube. It was either love or hate back in 1997 when that film was released. Fast forward to 2010 and Natali's Splice is causing the same discussion among audiences.
I believe people are not comfortable with being uncomfortable. Splice makes you uncomfortable from the opening credits until the final fade to black. Splice is meant to disturb and in some cases horrify audiences. I went into this film fully expecting to see some disturbing images of violence and gore. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not the case. I found the characters and relationships in the film to be far more effectively disturbing than most violence and gore that could have been put on the screen. We are introduced to a family dynamic in this film unlike any we have seen on the screen before, especially in a film marketed by a major studio like this one.
Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley are in excellent form in this film. Both of them succeed in portraying the feelings many new parents experience as they are learning to raise a child for the first time. Many of these experiences are extremely exaggerated of course. However, the basics are still there like the frustration of not understanding what your child wants/needs and the anguish of seeing your child in pain and not knowing how to help our what to do and the frustration of dealing with maturing teenagers. This film introduces most American audiences to Delphine Chanéac who plays the character of Dren, the creation of the two scientists (Brody & Polley), with an eerie animal like performance. Chanéac's movements as the childlike creature are quick and precise like the animals that have been spliced with her human DNA and yet she has this innocence about her that is so effectively childlike as if she really is experiencing everything for the first time. The fear and curiosity in her eyes is something few actors are capable of pulling off so effectively.
Splice is extremely effective in it's first two acts of building tension a causing the audience to really get involved in the film and invested in the characters. The third act however starts off strong, however an expected "change" takes place and the movie falls into some conventional horror movie pitfalls. I felt everything in the last 10 minutes of the film was too forced and out of sync with the rest of the film. The ending however did not ruin the film. Well written, well acted and well directed. This equals a win in my book. I commend everyone involved with making Splice for taking a bold knew step into the world of sci- fi/horror and giving us something original to remember, discuss for years to come.
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