Splice

Director: Vincenzo Natali
Cast: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley
Releasing in cinemas:
Rated: MA 15+

Despite a scant output (this is only his fourth feature) Canadian director Vincenzo Natali is one of the more interesting filmmakers working today. His latest film is Splice, a heady mix of Frankenstein’s monster, geek chic and moral parable all held together in a sci-fi shell.

Perhaps the most intriguing thing about Splice is that Natali is content to let his film pose plenty of questions, but to provide few answers. That’s brave filmmaking. Indeed, with this film Natali appears to be positioning himself as the heir to that other remarkable and challenging Canadian director David Cronenberg. Splice rushes from one potent moral or ethical dilemma to another over a breakneck 104 minutes. There’s barely a chance to catch your breath, let alone ponder the enormous ramifications of the issues posed in the film. It will however undoubtedly fuel plenty of post-film debates.

The film opens in a gray, nondescript research facility located in an unnamed city. But behind the sterile façade, something remarkable is happening. Clive Nicoli (Adrien Brody) and Elsa Kast (Sarah Polley) have made a breakthrough in “splicing” the DNA of different species together to create new lifeforms – specifically two mole-like blobs dubbed Fred and Ginger. This has led to Clive and Elsa becoming pin-ups for the brave new world of genetic modification, even appearing on the cover of pop culture magazines. It’s not all beer and skittles though, as the shadowy corporation behind the research wants to turn a buck sooner rather than later; and the CEO soon announces that research is being shut down in favour of synthesising a valuable protein from the blobs. Frustrated at their research being cut off at the knees, Clive and Elsa decide to “stick it” to the company by attempting the improbable – splicing human and animal DNA together – just to prove it can be done. When the process is successful, it yields a strange little creature that Elsa immediately bonds with. Over Clive’s protests, she nurtures the creature which grows at a startling rate. Eventually, it comes to resemble a human more than an animal, so much so that they name it Dren (Delphine Chaneac).

What makes Splice quite amazing is its ability to challenge the audience about the issues underlying its story. At first, these seem to be the kind of ethical questions that regularly appear in op-ed pieces (are we playing God with cloning and genetic modification, for example). But as the film progresses, Natali (who co-wrote the screenplay) ups the ante significantly. By the time the film’s critical (and, it has to be said, quite shocking) turning point arrives, the questions have progressed from dry scientific ethics to fundamental moral issues.

Natali includes nods to a variety of films, including Bride of Frankenstein (which starred Colin Clive and Elsa Lancaster) through to the horror works of Cronenberg. Indeed, for some strange reason, it reminded me of Cronenberg’s eXistenZ, although the themes in the two films are, at least superficially, very different. Natali perhaps doesn’t quite have the assured touch of a Cronenberg as yet (things do spiral out of control somewhat towards the end), but that will surely come with more films under his belt.

Brody and Polley basically have to carry the film, and at least one of them appears in just about every scene. Brody, who’s transforming into quite the Hollywood leading man, seems very much at ease in this smaller, indie outing. His chemistry with Polley seems effortless, giving the film its necessary footings. For her part, Polley continues to win admirers as an actress of substance, and nothing here will detract from that.

While Splice might be a bit out-there for popcorn audiences, it’s nonetheless an intelligent and provocative take on the monster movie genre. As I mentioned, I suspect this will stir plenty of debate; which is just what good cinema should do.

David Edwards