Review: Gattaca (1997)

This week’s movie review is a movie that is on my very short list of those films that I feel compelled to go back and watch every year or so.  There’s not many of them, as I’m rarely impressed with a movie enough to see it more than once, but Gattaca is certainly one.  This film is written and directed by Andrew Niccol, also known for penning such memorable films as The Truman Show, Lord of War and The Terminal.  More recently he directed The Host, but we’ll try to ignore that one.  Gattaca is, in my opinion, one of the best sci-fi movies ever made and well deserving of more than the (still decent) 82% that it received at Rotten Tomatoes.

Gattaca tells the story of Vincent (Ethan Hawke), a man who was conceived the natural way in a world where genetic manipulation is the key to making your child bigger, better and able to compete in the world.  He has a host of problems, including genetic issues that will kill him before he passes middle age.  But Vincent has his eyes on the stars and wants to be a top-notch space explorer.  Unfortunately, his lack of the proper genes prohibits this, despite laws that supposedly prohibit such discrimination.

So Vincent goes another route.  He enlists the help of someone with better genes than his, a man named Jerome (Jude Law).  In exchange for providing Vincent with all the genetic material he needs to fool people, Jerome is guaranteed that he will be able to live in the plush lifestyle that he’s grown accustomed to.  And so their somewhat twisted relationship begins.

Vincent infiltrates a company that deals in space exploration, studying hard and using subterfuge to pass the many tests they put before him.  Along the way, he meets a woman named Irene (Uma Thurman).  Eventually, she reveals her secret that she is not everything that the doctor said she was going to be, her genes just a little less than promised.  He in turns reveals his truth, that his genes said he was supposed to be dead years ago and that he could never do what he’s been doing.

Unfortunately, Vincent’s brother, Anton, is investigating a murder within the company and ends up finding clues that Vincent is there.  His motivation is one of revenge, as Vincent once bested him when they were teenagers despite the superiority of his genes.  Vincent dodges the investigation, Irene learns more about what it is to be human, Anton faces his demons and Jerome resigns himself to his fate.

Gattaca is a gem for many reasons.  In addition to an amazing screenplay and some great acting (this movie first got me to recognize both Jude Law and Ethan Hawke for their talent), there are many meanings within the story, chief among them being that no amount of genetics can act as substitute for a person’s will.  The sets and atmosphere are brilliant and the soundtrack is entrancing.  I highly recommend Gattaca to anyone with an interest in either science fiction or tales of the human heart.  Personally, I will continue to watch this film every year.

Gattaca still courtesy of cyberpunkreview.com