Gattaca
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Movie Reviews of Gattaca
Movie Review: "There Is No Gene for the Human Spirit"
Summary: 5 Stars
1997's science-fiction drama GATTACA offers an intelligent look into the possible future of applied DNA science, a future where potential parents are given the ability to determine the genetic characteristics and thereby create a society of near-perfect super-humans. As one might deduce, this means that individuals born the "natural way"--such folk are referred to as "In-Valids"--are deemed inferior and prejudicially relegated to the lower rungs of the social ladder. In other words, In-Valids are considered mere mortals in this high-tech, genetically engineered world, and as such, education and opportunity are socially beyond their reach.The film's plot revolves around Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), an In-Valid who works as a janitor at an aerospace firm named Gattaca Corporation. But in spite of society's view of him, Vincent has dreams of someday going into space himself, and his intelligence and all-consuming drive to find a way to transcend societally imposed barriers leads him into an alliance with a black-marketeer (Tony Shalhoub) and a genetically "superior" young man (Jude Law) who wants to sell his own identity. Soon Vincent is engaged in a scheme to secure employment as an engineer at Gattaca and thereby realize his goals and dreams. But once he's finally on the other side of the fence, how long can he sustain such subterfuge in a society where an individual's genetic identity is constantly monitored and even a lost eyelash can provide authorities with enough genetic material to expose a fraud?
GATTACA examines the nature of personal identity, personal destiny, and the idea that an individual can become more than the sum of his parts. Aldous Huxley's BRAVE NEW WORLD already thoroughly covers these same themes, but GATTACA approaches them in a more earnest and less satirical manner than does Huxley's magnum opus. GATTACA is therefore a very literate piece of speculative SF that should appeal to those who desire more than the standard STAR WARS (1977) or bug-eyed alien fare. Unfortunately, the film is a bit too cerebral for the average filmgoer, and probably explains why GATTACA was a bit of a bomb at the box office.
The film is excellently scripted and directed by Andrew Niccol, who later penned the script for the acclaimed THE TRUMAN SHOW (1998). The all-star cast does a fantastic job of acting, too, even those in minor roles (watch for Ernest Borgnine, Gore Vidal, Xander Berkeley, and others). Slawomir Idziak's cinematography is gorgeous but never overwhelms the story, and the special FX, though minimal, are subtle and quite effective. GATTACA is a great example of what thoughtful, intelligent SF cinema should be.
The standard DVD version of GATTACA from Columbia/Tristar offers a very good digital transfer of the film (there are a few filmic artifacts) in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. It also has bonus material that includes a short featurette, trailers, and some deleted scenes. The SuperBit DVD version--also in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen--offers a crisper, less grainy digital transfer, but it was apparently made from the same source and therefore contains the same filmic artifacts. (Audiophiles note: the SuperBit does have superior sound.) Keep in mind that, as with other SuperBit offerings from Columbia/Tristar, the increased bit rate comes at the cost of bonus material--you get the film only. And the higher cost of the SuperBit is justifiable only if you have a high-definition TV and can therefore appreciate the extra visual info. Regardless of which DVD version is purchased, however, a GATTACA DVD is a must-own for any true fan of intelligent speculative science fiction.
Movie Review: Beautiful and Inspirational -- My Favorite Movie of All Time
Summary: 5 Stars
GATTACA is, in my book, one of the finest movies ever made. It's a movie about believing in yourself even when no one else does. It's thought provoking, beautiful, and inspirational. This is a true masterpiece.
GATTACA is set in the near future, when your genes determine your status in society. Vincent (played by Ethan Hawke) is one of the now few invalids (people who have not been genetically engineered). Vincent's dream is to one day travel into space,
but because of genoism (genetic discrimination), he is forced to work as a janitor. However, through hard work and help from Eugene (Jude Law), he somehow manages to find a way to beat the system to achieve his childhood dream.
Irene (Uma Thurman)is Vincent's love interest. She, like Eugene, is genetically engineered but has a heart condition, and, like Eugene, suffers from the burden of perfection. She sadly tells Vincent that because of her heart condition she will never be assigned to a mission beyond Earth's orbit. Irene's tone and demeanor is a quiet sadness throughout the movie, which complements the movie's entire tone: bleak, sterile, and cold.
Eugene is charming and delightful to watch, as he provides relief from the sullen tone throughout the movie with his humorous quips ("Shall I save you some?" he asks Vincent after vomiting.)
The ending is unexpected and sad, yet somewhat fitting, and will leave you thinking.
I was completely blown away the first time I saw GATTACA. Since then I have watched it five more times, and it only gets better with each viewing, never losing it's ability to inspire, thanks in part to the beautiful and inspirational score.
GATTACA is rich with memorable scenes and quotes. Just a few of my favorite:
Scenes
-When the nursery school worker literally slams a gate shut in young Vincent's face, after denying him admittance (as his physical conditions would prevent him from being covered by insurance.) The bars of the gate symbolically show Vincent being separated from the "valid" world.
-When Vincent's father records Anton and Vincent's heights with a marker on the wall, you can see, from previous marks, that Anton, although the younger brother, is quickly gaining on Vincent. After the measuring, the father smiles and rubs Anton's head, leaving Vincent in the background, sadly erasing his measurements with his fingers. This scene captures the inferiority Vincent felt and sadness of being loved less because of it.
-When Irene leads Vincent outside to see the sun set on a shimmering series of moving panels. The music in this scene captures the moment perfectly and combined with the dazzling visuals, makes for a truly beautiful scene.
Quotes
-Vincent (to Irene), on her lack of faith in her abilities because of her imperfections: "You are the authority on what is not possible, aren't you Irene? They've got you looking so hard for any flaw that after a while, that's all you see. For whatever it's worth, I'm here to tell you that it is possible. It is possible."
-Vincent, to Anton, on how he beat him in a swimming contest, where whoever could swim the furthest from shore wins: "This is
how I did it, Anton: I never saved anything for the swim back."
Movie Review: Brilliant out of the ordinary sci-fi...
Summary: 5 Stars
It wasn't exactly surprising that this masterful film escaped most radars. Without bombastic effects and without any mass promotion and media brouhaha it was released almost silently and has gained the reputation of a true classic ever since.Twenty minutes into this film and all the tell-tale signs of a great and capturing story are already well in place and it almost never lets down after that.
With all the dystopia banners obvious to anyone who's lost his optimism, Gattaca is about the story of a future society where ID has become one's gene-pool. Those with an "acceptable" gene combination are given access to the better jobs and prospects, and most importantly a chance to leave this planet for outer space, where, by then, humans are exploring domains far beyond their own solar system. Those with an undesirable gene combination, that is, big probability for disease, or other health failures and low life expectancy, are deemed, and doomed, to become society's low-rank water-carriers. The first category is the "valids" and the second the "in-valids".
One such invalid driven by his passionate dream of outer-space travel, finds a way to beat the system, by using blood and hair samples of a former valid who's incapacitated by partial paralysis. He assumes his new ID with full co-operation by the former invalid, and both these peoples' lives become an excruciating every day routine of trying to keep beating the control-checks and achieving each their own goals. Things turn even edgier when a murder investigation inside the base for space-travel points worrying leads towards the (...) and the police are hot on his trail. From then on it becomes a race of time. If he makes it he's safe for good, safe in the confines of the surreal distance that will separate him and the earth as his destination is Titan, a planet several years of distance away.
Gattaca is without a doubt one of the most intelligent films in recent time. Packed with superb ideas about a dystopian future without resorting to pomposity is its utter brilliance, subtle and convincing performances cement the result and the directing is equally great, using color and unidentifiable space to set the atmosphere.
Ethan Hawke plays the system-beater according to the cue of the story, always below the surface, and always with a "looking-behind-the-shoulder" aura. But the show is actually stolen by Jude Law, his Identity Giver and an ex-wonder "gene holder", who has to daily swallow his bitterness while trying to make what he thinks as best out of the situation. Uma Thurman is rather confined to the backround in the story, making Gattaca primarily a two-actor film. But this never undermines the force of this movie, instead it helps emphasize the story even more.
Incredibly poetic, especially the ending, and melancholically romantic, Gattaca is a tremendous film the full impact of which catches up with you after it's finished. Great on all levels with the slight exception of the love affair between Hawke and Thurman which doesn't serve much really but that does little to undermine the overall picture.
Essential for the sci-fi oriented and fans of intelligent cinema alike.
Movie Review: Science fiction at its best, a modern version of Huxley's "Brave New World"
Summary: 5 Stars
Gattaca really makes you wonder about the moral and ethical consequences of genetic engineering, and the risks of mankind playing God. This is science fiction at its best. In a nutshell, Gattaca is the modern version of Aldous Huxley's science fiction classic novel Brave New World (1932).
As usual, not every great movie is a box office hit, and Gattaca actually went unnoticed for many sci-fi fans. Why? The film's atmosphere is that of a slow pace dystopia, quite similar to the classic novel Fahrenheit 451. Therefore, the movie lacks many of the sophisticated modern special effects we are used to, up to the extreme of astronauts traveling to outer space in full business suits. Also, worth noticing is the great performance by the leading and renowned actors Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, and Jude Law. Deliberately the movie does not have any flamboyant SFX because its simplicity is part of the attractive. It is high tech against the human spirit!
I do highly recommend this movie, whether or not you are a science fiction fan. For those interested in exploring similar philosophic and ethical questions regarding genetic engineering and cloning, I also recommend watching the 1980 or 1998 TV versions of "Brave New World" (not available on DVD), The Island (based on Huxley's novel Island (Perennial Classics)), Blade Runner - The Final Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition), the action hero movie The 6th Day and Jurassic Park (Widescreen Collector's Edition), though the original Jurassic Park novel's storyline is much better than the movie. Also Michael Crichton's novel Next raises similar interesting and deeper ethical issues regarding genetic engineering, a more comprehensive exploration of the issues than Gattaca, but be aware that "NEXT" has a really lousy childish plot, not Crichton's at his best.
And by the way, I was curious about what Gattaca meant, if anything. According to Wikipedia, "the title is based on EcoRI, a restriction enzyme that cuts the sequence GAATTC, that composed of the initial letters of the four DNA nucleotides (adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine)."
PS: There is a VHS version of Brave New World (1998) available, though it is hard to find (see details at the Amazon UK store). The 1980 BNW version is available at Google Video, with low quality.
Movie Review: Underated, Maybe Unknown, but Definitely a Masterwork.
Summary: 5 Stars
This film takes place in a not to distant future, after a high-profile murder has been committed at an elite company named Gattacca. The story's main character works for this elite company, and the film shows how this murder affects the events related to him.
The setting is amid a society that "creates" their children made to order through genetic enhancement. This creates more capable humans, but also creates an underclass who are relegated to the menial tasks of society. Anyone in this "class" wanting a better life must find creative (read illegal) ways of taking on the identity of someone genetically superior, but has fallen on hard times, so is willing to sell their identity. The name given to a person taking on the new identity is considered an "In-valid" (if caught).
The story tells of our main character, an elite amongst the company's elite even though genetically his is an "in-valid", one with a purchased, superior identity to hide his own. He does this because his dream is to explore space and the way to do this is to work for the company Gattacca (which would never hire him due to his genetic "inferiority".) He must live with the actual person his identity was purchased from and the film contrasts their situations well - An underdog who overcomes, and a "superior" who acts and thinks anything but. A love story is also intertwined with the main character and a woman investigating the murder, who also works with him.
* The story is about the triumph of the human spirit against the most insurmountable of obstacles.
* The story just happens to take place in the not-too-distant future, but is not "futuristic" or about space at all. It is a drama that just happens to take place in a still familiar future.
* The main character is an underdog by all accounts..
* This film was nominated for an academy award for Best Art Direction alongside Kundun, L.A. Confidential, Men In Black and Titanic. In my opinion Gattacca should have won and I think you will agree when you watch it.
* The marketing was not well devised when this film originally opened, which explains why you may not be familiar with this title, but is definitely one of the best films out there.
* FYI #1: The title "Gattacca" is the name of the company that the main character works for, but is also made up of the 4 letters used to describe the 4 building blocks that make up DNA (GTCA). DNA and its genetic altering is a main theme this film incorporates.
* FYI #2: many shots of the building the company Gattacca occupies are set in the actual Marin County Civic Center in California designed by the elite great architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1959, almost 40 years prior to the opening of the movie. One of the wings of the real building is actually called the "Halls of Justice." It's ironic compared to the main character and his story. (these FYIs of course have nothing to do with the movie, just something of interest.)
This is a definite keeper. Get it and you will watch it over and over, it's that good.