Retrospective: Gattaca (1997)

GATTACA
|  4.5/5 stars  |

I like movies that take place in the not-too-distant future. It allows for 
repetitive viewings for years to come, primarily because audiences will 
always be able to believe that the future they are witnessing may be right 
around the bend. As great a film as it is, "2001: A Space Odyssey" predicted 
advancements that never came - which, in retrospect, all seem quite dated. 
It's still an undoubtedly great film, but the wonder of the technology has 
somewhat diminished - but when a film says it takes place in the 
not-too-distant future...you can never say it predicted wrong.

Gattaca is a futuristic space station that employs perfect people to work on 
perfect missions to space. Vincent (Ethan Hawke) was a rare child, an embryo 
not edited in any way, shape or form to improve characteristic traits. As 
soon as the child is born, blood is taken and analyzed. It is predicted that 
young Vincent will be overweight, suffer from heart problems and die by the 
age of 30.

It never happens. Vincent, as a young man, is healthy - physically and 
emotionally. He doesn't suffer any breakdowns, his heart never fails, and he 
is simply a normal human being. He wears glasses on his weak eyes, and that 
is the only indication that he is somewhat human after all.

Other children, including his brother, are taken after conception and placed 
under the care of scientists who can alter genes and take out such unwanted 
traits as obesity, harmful physical conditions, and damaging addictions that 
could cause the soon-to-be-born individual's future self.

Vincent dreams of becoming a space explorer, of joining Gattaca and 
traveling to distant planets. His dreams are all ruined, though, because he 
is not perfect like everyone else. So what do you do if you can't fit in? 
Buy your way in.

Vincent pays a crook (Tony Shalhoub) to find an individual with good traits 
who would be interested in swapping identities. He does, and presents Jerome 
(Jude Law) to Vincent. Jerome used to be an Olympic Silver Medal swimmer 
until he became paralyzed from the waist down. His injury was not reported 
in the United States, but rather overseas, and so Vincent assumes Jerome's 
identity, copying his features and mannerisms and so on and so forth so that 
he can pass as Jerome and be accepted into Gattaca.

Tricky stuff is involved, such as occasional urine samples and daily blood 
checks (to see if the workers at Gattaca are "Valid" or "Invalid"). Jerome 
pees into bags and draws blood, and Vincent pays the rent in exchange for 
his favors. They both think they may have a chance at a future when Irene 
(Uma Thurman) starts to suspect something and begins a dangerous love affair 
with Vincent, that only ends in truth.

Andrew Niccol's flair for technological advancements of the future shines 
through in "Gattaca." He's the man responsible for the Jim Carrey vehicle 
"The Truman Show" and last year's funny black comedy "S1m0ne." This is his 
finest achievement, a story deeply rooted in both the present and the 
future. It bears a message that everyone should be given a shot, 
irregardless of physical conditions, and it also presents us with amazing 
futuristic contraptions and settings. It's a very good movie.

There's something I've noted about Andrew Niccol movies, however, that is 
harder to spot but nevertheless very present in "Gattaca." It's a 
superficial feeling. I sensed it in "The Truman Show," "S1m0ne," and again 
in "Gattaca." It hit me just now that it's the wide gaps in the man's 
screenplays -- in "The Truman Show," my enjoyment in the film was hindered 
by its almost ludicrous example of how a television show based solely around 
one man might exist. (Truman would have to be pretty naive not to notice 
certain things when he was younger, and not only that, but the entire idea 
has many plot holes that I usually don't care about but couldn't shrug off.) 
"S1m0ne" had the same sort of moments where you had to stop a minute and 
say, "Wait, hold on...what? Come on!"

But "Gattaca" moves so fast and with such self-assurance that you never have 
the time to stop and wonder about the numerous plot holes in the plot. I 
liked "Gattaca," despite its minor flaws, and it's the rare type of film 
that actually means a lot of things on a lot of different levels.

- John Ulmer
Webmaster of The Movie Portal
http://www.wiredonmovies.com/

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X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1223867
X-RT-TitleID: 1080254
X-RT-SourceID: 1382
X-RT-AuthorID: 6769
X-RT-RatingText: 4.5/5