31 Days of Halloween: Splice

Day 12
Splice

Produced by Guillermo del Toro, written and directed by Vincenzo Natali (Cube, Nothing, and the vastly underrated Cypher), Splice has been on my radar for a very long time.  What got me hooked even before I know the players was the fantastic creature design of Dren, the genetic hybrid of animal and human.  Visually, Splice does not disappoint.  It’s a cerebral creature feature that overcomes a few missteps and is now one of my favorite genre films of 2010.

When Splice was released in theaters, it was a prime example of a movie studio not knowing how to market a film.  The trailers made it look like another creature feature horror flick, when it is so much more than a straight horror film.  It’s a film about ambitious and ego-centric scientists who make all the wrong decisions and end up putting their lives, others and careers in jeopardy. 

Splice is the story of two young ambitious geneticists who are on the verge of a medical breakthrough by splicing different species of animals into new organisms.  When their research is threatened by the pharmaceutical company who funds them, Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) secretly breed a new organism using human DNA.  The result is Dren (yes, that’s “nerd” spelled backwards), a beautiful yet lethal humanoid animal who becomes like a strange adopted daughter to Elsa.  While keeping Dren secret, she is also maturing at an exponential rate, bringing into play heightened emotions and physical urges she can’t comprehend.  Clive and Elsa must make a decision to halt their research and terminate Dren, or continue with their illegal research to further science and their personal ambitions.

I absolutely loved this film.  There are some logical missteps with the script and some coincidences that had me rolling my eyes, but ultimately the film works.  It’s great to see a director’s original vision on-screen, and Splice further cements Vincenzo Natali as a unique and important story-teller.

What I loved:

• Creature Design.  Dren’s design especially  is wonderful.  Beautiful, elegant, yet threatening. 
  Well thought out story.  This isn’t a re-hash of other creature features.  It’s an interesting journey and ultimately a satisfying conclusion.
• Strong acting.  Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley are in great form here.  While both character’s are somewhat unlikable, they are still compelling enough that we care for the journey.  They both are flawed, but as an audience we still want to see them make the right choices.
• Perfect pacing, the movie feels the right length and does not overstep its welcome.
• Moody and well shot.  The cinematography is excellent.
• Cyrille Aufort‘s score.  I’m a huge movie score nut and this score enhances the movie in all the right ways.

What I didn’t like (May contain spoilers):

• “Oh, by the way, I have a FARM!” There are some plot points that are extremely coincidental and you just have to roll with it.  The fact that Elsa actually has a farm (it is deserted & was inherited, natch) is hugely convenient since they have to hide a humanoid creature from the world.  But, I rolled with it, no biggie.
• These “smart” scientists make some hugely dumb decisions.  But, it does move the story along, so it’s forgivable.
• **BEGIN SPOILER** Elsa gets over the fact that she catches Clive mid-coitus with Dren far too easily.  I’m sorry, but if my significant other decided to fuck our genetic creation, it would take more than an “Uh…I’m sorry…” to win me back.  There was an opportunity for some really interesting drama to take place, and it didn’t.  Brilliant set up and idea, poor follow through.**END SPOILER**
• The third act delves into classic monster-movie-mode.  It’s not a deal breaker, I was expecting a little more from the last confrontations.

Ultimately, there is A LOT to like about Splice.  I think it’s a brave and well made film, and while I had some gripes they ultimately did not spoil the movie for me.  Splice is an interesting entry into the Science Fiction/Horror realm and a film I’ll be re-visiting in the near future.