Susan Granger’s review of “Splice” (Warner Bros.)
Genetic engineering is at the forefront of science these days, so it’s not surprising that brilliant biochemists Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley), lovers-and-colleagues who have been featured on the cover of Wired magazine, are given free rein in their laboratory facilities. Their specialty is “multi-specie morphism,” a.k.a. splicing DNA from different animals to create new hybrids. Now they propose stretching the boundaries by adding human DNA to revolutionize medicine. But the French pharmaceutical company that funds their research forbids it. So do they meekly go back to their desks in defeat? Far from it.
Rhetorically asking, “What’s the worst that can happen?” Elsa secretly uses her own DNA and the result is a bizarre, mutant creature that names itself Dren, which is ‘nerd’ spelled backwards. Their ‘experiment’ is so extraordinary that the self-serving scientists rationalize, “Nobody’s going to care about a few rules when they see what we’ve made.”
Unable to verbalize except in squeaks and chirps, Dren (Delphine Chaneac) possesses an eerie, uncommon intelligence, expressing herself with evocative words made out of Scrabble letters. While somewhat humanoid, Dren also displays a surprising array of unique physical characteristics, including long, hinged bird-like legs, amphibious lungs, retractable wings and a prehensile tail with a poisonous stinger tip.
Director Vincenzo Natali (“Paris je t’aime,” “Cube”), who co-wrote the screenplay with Antoinette Terry Bryant and Doug Taylor, elevates this formulaic sci-fi creature-feature above the ordinary by casting two highly intelligent actors: Adrien Brody (Oscar-winner for “The Pianist”) and Sarah Polley (Oscar-nominated writer/director of “Away From Her”). He’s no hunky boy-toy and she’s no silly scream-queen which adds gravitas to the splice-masters’ quirky dilemma that becomes very Freudian/very Oedipal. Unfortunately, halfway through, what was provocative, fresh and intriguing disintegrates into bisexual/transsexual horror fare, incorporating incest/bestiality which leads to an all-too predictable gruesome conclusion and opens the door for a “Rosemary’s Baby” sequel.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Splice” is a stylish, scary 6. What’s so disturbing about this contemporary Frankenstein story is that it might happen – if it hasn’t already.
