The Sweet Hereafter (New Line Platinum Series) (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)I can't fathom anyone watching this movie through without being deeply moved, at times disturbed, and shaken to some degree. It really does delve down into the dark night of the soul, like the cinematic equivalent of a Sylvia Plath poem. It's a film about loss. Innocence lost, the questionability of ideals and motives. The end of childhood. Yet Egoyan doesn't deliver a totally bleak jeremiad here, either. Human beings are flawed, but they also are capable of growth and wisdom, though both are hard earned.
As usual with Egoyan films, nature is at a distance and a remove from human beings and the turmoil brimming over inside them. The beautiful BC vistas are in contrast to the tragic event that occurs. It's a bit like the end of Moby Dick, when the Pequod is smashed and sinks, while the sun smiles down serenely on the calm sea. I think Egoyan's getting at the same thing Melville is, as well. It's an existentialist's way of looking at the universe. If we're looking for a higher power to bail us out, we're out of luck. Our other moral constructs are pretty shaky, as well. We tend to think a little better of ourselves than is often the case.
As is also usual, Egoyan assembles an excellent cast, that feed off of each other's honest performances. No wrong notes here. Cinematography also up to the usual high standard. My appreciation for Egoyan's work increases with each new film I see. Personal thanks to the reviewer who led me to the works of this auteur director, in the best sense of that term.
BEK

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Splice (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)SPLICE

STARRING: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Chaneac and Brandon McGibbon
WRITTEN BY: Vincenzo Natali
DIRECTED BY: Vincenzo Natali
Rated: R
Genre: Science Fiction / Thriller
Release Date: 04 June 2010
Review Date: 12 July 2010
I'm not exactly sure why I liked Splice, but I did. Even so, I won't be recommending it to anyone I don't know closely, because it's out there and isn't what most people will be expecting - especially based on its trailer.

If you're envisioning Species, you may be let down. If you're thinking Alien; you could be disappointed. It does however; lie somewhat in-between those two great films. And it's also sprinkled with a hint of the sort of family drama you'd find in The Jerry Springer show. I know - I just lost half of you there, didn't I? Still interested? Okay, keep reading.
Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley play Clive and Elsa; scientists as well as lovers. We quickly move on and accept that their employers are either blind to the fact, or don't seem to care that they are beyond fraternizing. A good deal of the film rests on the shoulders of the merit of their relationship, and their on-screen allure makes those portions believable as well as entertaining; mostly by Adrien Brody. He's such a likeable guy, and a terrific actor.

I'll admit Splice takes it's time getting to the point, but I was never bored with it. The - `two characters in a room for prolonged periods of time' approach was handled with care; and there is a very subtle hint of `what the hell is gonna happen?' - teasing those hairs on the back of our necks for the first 30 minutes or so.
After advisors shut down their project, Clive and Elsa secretly push forward with their experiment of splicing animal and human DNA. There must be some kind of strict Hollywood code in Sci-Fi movies, that forces the writers to script the purpose for DNA splicing to involve `the better of mankind', because it's seems like that's always the reason. It is here too.
If you're not asleep by the end of act one, you may enjoy seeing the creature Clive and Elsa have well... spliced. I've certainly never seen anything like it, and was astronomically impressed. A blend of some barely visible CGI and beautiful make-up effects and voila; an original movie monster at last! The actress they hire to play the thing soon named Dren (Delphine Chaneac), does an amazing job at making her convincing, interesting and somehow even slightly attractive.

If you think you can predict where this film is headed, you may be surprised. It is essentially three films in one; each act taking a sharp turn into something else. Several viewers will despise the third act entirely. While it wasn't my first choice of destinations for the film to take me to, I wouldn't say I had the worst time with it.

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Superstar genetic engineers Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) specialize in splicing DNA from different animals to create incredible new hybrids. Now they want to use human DNA in a hybrid that could revolutionize science and medicine. But when the pharmaceutical company that funds their research forbids it, they secretly take their experiment underground--risking their careers to push the boundaries of science and serve their own curiosity and ambition. The result is Dren, an amazing, strangely beautiful creature of uncommon intelligence and unexpected physical developments. At first, Dren exceeds their wildest dreams. But as she grows and learns at an accelerated rate, her existence threatens to become their worst nightmare.

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