Gattaca

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: Gattaca is one of the most though-provoking and enthralling films that I have seen. Gattaca reminds us what is the essence of life - following one's passion and dreams and making the best of what is bestowed to us - and that the our courage and spirit is what defines us.

Rating:
Summary: VINCENT
Review: The world of this movie was never meant for one as deficient genetically as this Vincent, we are given to understand. In this nearish future, genetic design is depicted as at least a frequent occurrence, perhaps even the norm. Vincent was conceived normally and brings into the world a daunting catalogue of infirmities, summed up in a life-expectancy of 30 years, low by even the standards of certain far eastern counties today. This does not sit well with his consuming ambition to travel into space, and the film builds a collection of different plots and sub-plots around this basic quandary.

To start with what is particularly good about Gattaca, the sets are striking. They create a 'futuristic' aura very successfully, so much so that they they actually forced my attention on to what I believe to be one aspect of the film's main weakness, namely the plot or plots - Vincent's basic dilemma does not require a future setting at all. If he had been a weakling trying to get into a career in, say, sport or the armed services in 2004 that would have dealt with the issue just as well. The other thing that is distinctly good, in a certain kind of way, is the acting. When Gore Vidal, of all people, makes an early entrance in the role of Director, I reflected momentarily that I had never seen him acting before. In an instant I had corrected myself - I have never seen Vidal not acting. He acts a persona of his own creating whenever he appears on the media, and it is no surprise that he carries off his film role so convincingly. The Director is a far simpler personality that the real-life Gore Vidal. The three main roles are taken by Ethan Hawke as Vincent, Jude Law as the crippled but genetically perfect Jerome, and Uma Thurman as Irene. Like the Director, the characters are schematic and line-drawn, and such as they are they are very well done. The trouble, I hate to say, is the plotting.

Not only is the basic setting not really required, the theme of Vincent's physical frailty actually has nothing to do with the ethical question of designer-vs-natural conception either. These threads are separate strands thrown into a single bag, so to speak, but not woven together. In much the same way the murder investigation, which threatens to blow Vincent's cover and reveal his clever DNA exchange with Jerome, is very loosely integrated with the main action - anything of that kind would have taken only the smallest mischance to come to light, and the efforts of the investigators make the quest for certain weapons in Iraq even as I write look a model of competence. It all left me not even needing to make a willing supension of disbelief at how an impoverished janitor obtained the funds first to pay the rapacious clandestine transgenetics operator and second to pay his way though the Gattaca induction programme. To cap it all, there is a further sub-plot of sibling rivalry between Vincent and his eugenic younger brother Anton, which must be important, I have to assume, as one of their periodic swimming contests takes place at the climactic stage of the story. And of course there is a love-theme as well, in case the film ran out of themes.

I suppose this could hardly be called a rave-notice, and I fully admit that the film at least held my attention. It is not a bad film by any means, but the nearer in time to us that such an action is supposed to take place the harder it is to keep one's normal rational faculties switched off.

Rating:
Summary: Intellectually Stimulating but a Trifle Lifeless
Review: This is a pessimistic utopian fantasy about genetic engineering. We are invited to imagine a world in which many babies are made in the laboratory where their genotype is carefully controlled to produce maximally perfect specimens, while others are produced the old fashioned way and are genetically altogether inferior to their laboratory made contemporaries. This has made a new underclass of the "invalids", those produced by the great game of chance that is reproductively efficacious sex. as opposed to the engineered elite. An underground industry evolves of elite members fallen on hard times selling their genetic identities to "invalids" and the film is about Ethan Hawk's Vincent, an invalid, whose desperate yearning for a career as an astronaut drives him into the hands of this same industry - as well as Jude Law's Jerome, the crippled elite specimen at the other end of the bargain.

On the face of it the movie is a thriller. But as a thriller it is not so very good. There is little real suspense. Nonetheless it retains one's interest mainly by keeping us thinking: how long can Vincent get away with it? The answer on offer stretches credulity a bit but it remains a worthwhile film by being an alarmingly intelligent and not wildly implausible picture of where, unless we smarten up, biotechnology which is all too nearly in our reach might take us.

The most interesting and underdeveloped character is Jude Law's of the superpivileged "valid" who has fallen on hard times. About him we learn, in many ways, far too little, which is not to deny that there is much to be said for the free rein thereby left for our imagination. Certainly a central motif is Jerome's Olympic silver, impressive but second best, less than so perfect a specimen should have been capable of, contrasting with Victor's astonishing success, once the basic genetic fraud is in place, in rising to the very top of the astronaut business. Presumably the intention is to say something optimistic about free will. A cynic would respond that this society clearly has just not yet found the genotype that controls steely determination... but that is a dimension of philosophical speculation that remains unexplored in this movie and the somewhat philosophically complacent subtext about the ultimate triumph of free will is left unthreatened.

In any event it's a worthwhile film, containing genuinely alarming ideas about the more worryingly possibilities of biotechnology to keep one engaged. But it remains somewhat lacklustre. There is less suspense than there ought to and the central love story between Uma Thurman's and Hawk's characters is singularly lacking in passion and dramatic energy. High marks for being thought provoking but a rather lower score for general cinematic dynamism.

Rating:
Summary: Gattaca's genes are "Perfect."
Review: As a script writer and student of film, I know how hard it is to convey a futuristic storyline believably and have it contain touches of suspense, humor, romance, and humanity and have it ALL work. "Gattaca" is a story about flawed people who have great spirits, yet "Gattaca" itself is as unflawed as any science fiction film ever made. Every scene cleverly pushes the story along and twists many different ideas and possibilities together like a perfect length of rope.
The visuals of Gattaca are breathtaking and capture the time of the story in a way that is futuristic but comparable to present day. The acting is perfect for the story and it will touch you from the very opening scene. As far as science fiction stories go, this is as good as any, EVER. If you don't see Gattaca, you've missed out. Also accompanied by a wonderful score. Simply brilliant. Buy it, because if you rent it, you'll wind up buying it anyway.

Rating:
Summary: Better perspective
Review: I was in 8th grade when this film was released. I went to the movies often as that was the only thing I could do then. I watched Gattaca thinking it was some sci-fi action film but in the end I was dissappointed to see it wasn't, as were my friends who watched. My teacher loved it and i teased her how much it sucked. I eventually wrote a review for it for my school newspaper, although personally i thought it was ok, i expected something else. Years later, I felt compelled to watch it again and being a little older and mature, I really enjoyed it. My only dissappointment was that it ended. I would've liked to see more interaction between the two brothers but overall the tone of the movie is both dark and hopeful. Eugene burning himself at the end was very chilling indeed and everything works so well in the movie. The love aspect was very well done, although it was like how did these 2 hook up again? but both actors performance was soo good it carried it.. they are married in real life. This movie made me think, something i sometimes forget to do.

Rating:
Summary: Just once around the sun
Review: That's my favorite line in the movie where Uma Thurman's character says "Not so long, just once around the sun." Referring to how long a year away from Ethan she will be. When I saw this film I was in science class, and the teacher said we were going to be watching a movie, I was excited but not so excited because all the movies we watch in school suck...but this one was great! I loved it instantly. The music is the best in this movie! The film is brilliantly done, "visionary" and the dialogue is great also. I think its the most perfect science fiction film, but I wouldn't just categorize it as a sci fi but more as a drama or love story.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: I remember watching this when I was younger on a movie channel and not catching the name of it. I was so impressed with the plot, the characters, and just the beautiful way it played out that I just had to find out it's name. I finally saw it on VHS and watched it almost a million times. The whole concept is intruiging, it's an almost realistic and dangerous vision of what society could come to someday. The good twist is that even in a world like that there is still hope for the imperfect. Wondering where the title comes from? Well I don't recall it ever being explained in the movie but from genetics, G, C, T and A are the 4 codes that make up DNA..so stick em together and you can make the word Gattaca. Neat huh? Even the title is interesting..Definitely a movie worth seeing more than once and that will definitely let you appreciate these times we live in a bit more.

Rating:
Summary: Great whether you like sci-fi or not
Review: I'm not a big sci-fi fan, but Gattaca is a brilliant movie. It is intelligent, inspiring and disturbing - its premise is one that sits with such books as 1984 and Brave New World - and it features a star turn from Jude Law as well as a career-defining performance from Ethan Hawke and strong support from Uma Thurman. It is extremely well shot with understated beauty and its message is a potent mixture of warning and hope. It raises interesting philosophical questions as well as being a good entertainment for a rainy day at the same time. 5 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Slightly overrated
Review: I think this movie is slightly overrated. The acting is not bad, camerawork not bad, but it's not excellent either. The dialogs are not really realistic -too many functional dialogs- and most characters are quite 'flat'. Don't understand me wrong, it's not a bad movie, but it's moralistic undertone probably caused it to become slightly overrated (just like movies like American History X).

Rating:
Summary: Implausibility of protagonist's struggle is the point
Review: Many viewers criticize Gattaca for its implausibility. When the film was released, I recall reading a movie review entitled "You're too smart for Gattaca," which cited the improbability of the hero's success in a society where he is constantly subjected to testing to confirm his genetic "purity" and where the slightest trace of bodily detritus can expose him as an imposter.

I would respectfully submit that such critics have hit upon the central theme of the film without fully realizing it; the sheer implausibility of the hero's success under these conditions is precisely the point, and is what makes the story so powerful and poignant. The story is, after all, intended in part to be a cautionary tale.

In spite of the film's persistent "realistic" emphasis on the physical implausibility of the hero's success, however, it also bears emphasis that the ending, with Vincent rocketing to the heavens, is a genuinely Romantic assertion of faith that innate human intelligence and spirit can overcome bodily defects and limitations.

The ending also has mythological overtones of apotheosis (deification). In this respect, Vincent has heroic antecedents in Hercules and gnostic Christianity. Hercules' divine spirit was taken by the gods into Olympus after the self-inflicted destruction of his body by fire, and after the accomplishment of feats even more implausible than those confronted by Vincent. Similarly, Chirst ascended into heaven after his physical body was destroyed on the cross. Like both, Vincent endures great bodily suffering, but like both he ultimately transcends the physical limitations of the body.

As such, the story by its very design calls upon viewers at once to realize the physical impossibility of the hero's predicament, while at the same time suspending their disbelief in order to have faith in his ability to succeed against the odds. In this way, the story can be viewed as a contemporary and highly stylized variation on age old mythological and religious themes.