-Written by Kyle Bain.
Allen (Samba Schutte), a scientist, injects his best friend, Marcia (Chaunte Wayans), with an experimental drug that effectively forces her to be faithful to her wife. More people are injected with the drug, things get out of hand, and Advanced Chemistry sees a series of characters struggling with love.
I’ll be honest, I was a bit skeptical about this one after the first ten or fifteen minutes–as I felt that this silliness that was certainly set to permeate the entirety of the film would hinder it’s ability to be relevant and effective. While there is certainly a level of silliness present throughout the course of Advanced Chemistry, I was ultimately able to look past that for the most part and appreciate the sentiment present in the film as a whole. The comedy present is intentional, and the fact that Writer Alec Moore and Director Etana Jacobson are able to get this across to viewers helps the film as a whole.
Advanced Chemistry looks to explore toxic relationships from different points of view, the difference between love and lust, and the role that these things play in our daily lives. Advanced Chemistry sees a series of drastically different characters come into the fold here. A scientist, a cheating womanizer, and more play a role in this film, allowing viewers to see the same issues from multiple perspectives. Advanced Chemistry does a great job of this, of extending itself in a way that makes it accessible to most.
A cheesy, ridiculous film that hits a series of interestingly comedic notes throughout–Advanced Chemistry explores a series of taboo relationships, ones that just don’t make sense–but work wonderfully on a metaphorical level. Much like the characters that exist within these relationships, they represent something and aren’t necessarily meant to be taken literally. Nearly the entirety of Advanced Chemistry begs viewers to look beneath the surface, to attempt to understand what everything stands for and not what they are literally.
I ultimately didn’t care much about what happened to each of the characters, but rather what they represented. They each play a role in a greater, existential way that allows viewers to focus on the bigger picture. Advanced Chemistry is a character study, for sure–so it’s incredibly interesting that it doesn’t really develop characters that appeal to us, but rather speak to us and allow us to look introspectively. The fact that the relationships and the characters themselves don’t appeal to viewers, but what they symbolize does is a testament to the script of Moore. To allow viewers to appreciate the whole of a film, despite characters and plot devices that don’t work (though, I do believe that this was done intentionally) is simply incredible.
Advanced Chemistry is ultimately a film that will work for some and won’t work for others–like all pieces of art. Though, there are some rough patches existing throughout the entire film that will certainly make it challenging for viewers that are looking for something more genuine to appreciate. Advanced Chemistry rests on the shoulders of its message, and that message is ultimately strong enough to keep the film afloat.
Directed by Etana Jacobson.
Written by Alec Moore.
Starring Samba Schutte, Chaunte Wayans, Sarah Burns, Kiran Deol, Iqbal Theba, etc.
6.5/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE
Comments