Splice

Released Year: 2009

Directed by Vincenzo Natali

Casted by:

 Adrien Brody as Clive Nicoli

Sarah Polley as Elsa Kast

Delphine Chanéac as Dren

Story: 

Genetic engineers Clive Nicoli and Elsa Kast hope to achieve fame by splicing together the DNA of different animals to create hybrid animals for medical use. This has recently yielded Fred, a dog-sized worm-like creature intended as a mate for their original female specimen, Ginger. After their success, Clive and Elsa plan to create a human hybrid that could revolutionize science. Joan Chorot of their sponsoring company, N.E.R.D. Pharmaceuticals (Nucleic Exchange Research and Development), forbids them from doing this. Instead, their department is assigned to find and extract proteins from the creatures that they have already created. Secretly, Clive and Elsa conduct their own private experiments, blending human DNA with that of other animals.

They initially plan on terminating the hybrid before it reaches full term, but Elsa persuades Clive to let it continue to grow. Prior to its 'birth', the hybrid becomes aggressive and stings Elsa several times. They attack the hybrid, and it sheds its outer shell in an attempt to escape. After anesthetizing and examining the creature, they discover that she is aging at a vastly accelerated rate. As time passes, the creature grows and learns. After Clive attempts to drown the creature, the scientists learn that she is capable of breathing amphibiously and can live underwater. Elsa names the creature Dren, and refuses to let Clive refer to her as a "specimen."

While studying Dren, Elsa and Clive neglect their work with Fred and Ginger. At the highly publicized "unveiling" of the two specimens, Fred and Ginger savagely fight until both are dead. It is subsequently discovered that Ginger had spontaneously changed to a male, but Elsa and Clive failed to notice because they were focused on Dren. Elsa forms a motherly bond with Dren. After Dren attacks Clive's brother/fellow lab technician Gavin (Brandon McGibbon), they move her to Elsa's late mother's farm. There, Dren develops carnivorous tendencies and eats a rabbit.

As Dren grows into adolescence, she becomes bored with being locked up in the barn and wants to go outside, but Elsa and Clive fear revealing her existence. Clive realizes that the human DNA used to make Dren was Elsa's, rather than being from a "Jane Doe" as Elsa had told him. Dren assaults Elsa, who ties Dren up and removes the stinger from her tail. She then uses the living tissue from the stinger to isolate and synthesize the protein for which they had been searching.

Soon afterwards, Dren seduces Clive, and they have sex. Elsa catches them in the act and storms off home. Clive follows and starts a heated argument, accusing Elsa of never having wanted a child because she was afraid of losing control; instead she chose to raise one as an experiment, where control could be assured. They decide to terminate the experiment, but, on returning to the farm, they find Dren dying. After burying her behind the barn, their boss William Barlow arrives with Gavin. Having found human DNA in the samples that Elsa worked with, Barlow had confronted Gavin about the possibility of a human hybrid, and learned of Dren's existence. Elsa tells Barlow that Dren is dead; as he does not believe her, Elsa offers him a spade saying that he can dig up her body, which is buried behind the barn.

While they are talking, Dren, who has transformed into a winged male, rises from the grave and attacks the group. Swooping through the air, Dren picks up and kills Barlow, presumably by slashing his throat, leaving his mutilated body hanging from a tree, much to Gavin's, Clive's and Elsa's horror. Dren then swoops on Gavin. While searching for Gavin's body, Clive drops his torch into a pond. As he tries to recover it, he is pulled into the water by Dren. After helping Clive get out of the pond, Elsa sees Dren emerge from the water and flees in panic. Dren soon catches up with Elsa and starts to rape her. Clive thrusts a sharp stick into Dren's back; in pain, Dren stands up. Elsa picks up a stone and hits Dren on the head. Dren lashes out with his stinger, killing Clive. Elsa hits Dren in the head again, finally killing him.

Later, Joan informs Elsa that Dren's body contained numerous biochemical compounds for which the company has begun filing patents. She offers Elsa a large sum of money to continue her experiments. The pregnant Elsa accepts. 

 L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:

Love love love the story very much, kinda exciting and fun to watch it actually, but i wish it would be longer in the movie instead. Adrien Brody is still hot and i barely can take my eyes away from him in every scenes :)

Coco Avant Chanel

Released Year: 2009
Directed by Anna Fontaine

Casted by:
Audrey Tautou as Coco "Gabrielle" Chanel
Benoit Poelvoorde as Etienne Balsan
Alessandro Nivola as Arthur Capel
Marie Gillain as Adrienne Chanel
Emmanuelle Devos as Emilienne d'Alencon
Story:

Adrienne & Gabrielle have been send to an orphanage by her father when they are small. After waiting for 15 years, the father never comes back to pick them up. The 2 sister work as a taylor in morning while sing in a caberet at night. Their song is "coco".

Adrienne is in love with a Baron and prepare to marry him when the right time comes. The Baron introduced a rich business man Balsan to them, Balsan quickly has an interest on Gabrielle. Gabrielle later on was named as Coco because of the song they sang. Coco found a chance to sing in a big carbaret but Adrienne pulled herself off because the Baron proposed to her and she will be moving away to Paris. Coco decided to make her own singing career without her sister and try out at a bigger carbaret with the introduce from the Balsan. But she failed.

Coco used an excuse of visiting her sister in Paris and dropped by into the Balsan's place. Balsan pampered her and she fell in love with the fame and richness of Balsan. But Balsan treated her just for fun and trying to shoo her away in a few days time. But Coco managed to attract Balsan's attention by riding a horse and bump into the gathering of Balsan & other actresses, Emilienne. Emilienne love's the clothes and hat Coco make and decided to ask her for help. Balsan let Coco stay in the glamouros life by singing and entertaining his friends.

There was this English business man, Arthur who fell for Coco. But he was married to a woman in England for money. Coco did not know about this and quickly fall in love for this attractive young man. Arthur brought Coco to beach and both of them enjoy a lot. But later on, Balsan found himself in love with Coco too, and he told Coco about Arthur's marriage. Coco has a fight with both guys and decided to move into the Paris city and strike her own carreer. Arthur support her with money and Coco has managed to gain her fame and business is doing well.

Just when she's happily being the mistress of Arthur, Arthur was dead in a car accident. Finally, Coco grow her fashion empire by doing a fashion show of all her clothes that she make.

L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:

Finally i got to watch this film in the cinema!!! At first i'm not sure why Anne Fontaine chose Tautou in this film, but... ok... i don't really know other French actress, so yeah~ The reason why i dislike Tautou is becuase she has the most beautiful eyes that i always wanted to have... i think i'm just jealous of her... hahaha

In the teenage year of coco, i really cannot stand her long wavy hair. Its like a big broom. And the way she tie it in a bun, arrgghhh~ disgusting. Prefer in her later life when she cut her hair short, much more trendy and stylish.

I always have a thingy for French film, i love their language though i dont understand what they are talking about, so i need to read the subtitles as well. :P The whole film is good, love the final scene when Audrey first have her fashion show.