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| Movie Review: Splice Alternate Title: Don't Mess With Mother Nature
Story: We wanted to be scared.
We wanted to be spooked. Sorry to say, the trailer for this film is
not at all what the film turns out to be. It is being marketed as a
scary, horror flock, when it is really a psychological thriller about
the bio-ethics world. The film was directed by Vincenzo Natali
and written by Mr. Natali, Antoinette Terry Bryant
and Doug Taylor. Clive and Elsa are cohabitating super brainy
scientists who are working on a project, funded by a big pharmaceutical
company. The project entails creating a slug-like being made out of
the genetic material of several animals through lots of gene splicing.
Big-pharma wants the patents to create medicines to cure this, that
and the other disease culled from this new 'being'. Yes, things go wrong,
terribly wrong. Our two brainy scientists decide to push the
envelope and see what will happen if they splice human DNA with this
new slug like form. Similar to the movie treasure Frankenstein, they
create a new life form. I won't tell you much more other than to say
that the first half of the film is far better than the second half.
Watching this new life form, called DREN, develop, makes for some fine
movie material. Yes, there are some gaping holes in the plot and we
laughed at parts that I am sure the director did not want us to laugh
at, but we had lots to talk about on the way home concerning the moral
and ethical issues surrounding gene splicing. Is this worth your time? If you like something
a little off beat, check it out. Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GBWU6RjiLM Acting: Adrien Brody as Clive, spent
most of the film looking dazed and confused. Sarah Polley
as Elsa had the meatier, kookier role. Abigail Chu
as Young Dren was adorable and Delphine Chanéac
as Adult Dren was fascinating.
Trivia: Sarah Polley's parents, Michael Polley and
Diane Polley, were actors and she had her first audition at age 5. She
dropped out of high school to become a political activist for Socialist
groups and was attacked by police at a political protest at Queens Park
in 1995. In 1994 had surgery to correct scoliosis. She lost some back
teeth at a rally, in a violent clash between police and protesters.
When she was 12, during the first Gulf war, she attended a children's
awards show in Washington, DC, and was seated at a table with some representatives
from the Walt Disney Company. They asked her to remove a peace symbol
that she was wearing but she refused. Disney has blacklisted her ever
since.
Predilection: None
Critters: I am not sure what to call the genetically
produce critters but there was definitely a gorgeous cat in the movie.
The cat had a pivotal role and sadly came to a bleak end.
Food: Pizza, Chinese takeout, gruel, rabbit and a
Tic Tac like candy.
Sex Spectrum: Interspecies sex is a bit terrifying
and impressive.
Blatant Product Placement: Apple computers. Soundtrack: Scary at times.
Opening Titles: A fascinating sequence with some
CGI effects depicting veins, capillaries, goop and more.
Theater Audience: I saw this film with Mike, my nephew
by marriage, while on a recent visit to California. We were the only
two in the family that wanted to see the film and went to a 5 PM showing.
There were about 25 others in the theater.
Weather: Most of the film took place indoors or at
night in the cold snow. Sappy Factor: 0 Quirky Meter: 0 Squirm Scale: 0
Drift Factor: I did not drift but wanted a bit more
oomph.
Predictability Level: We guessed the ending.
Tissue Usage: 0 Oscar Worthy: No Big Screen or Rental: Either.
Length: Under two hours LOBO HOWLS: 6
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