| Gattaca | | Cast : | Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law | | Director : | Andrew Niccol | | Studio : | Columbia/Tristar Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | October 24, 1997 | | DVD Released Date : | October 07, 2003 | | Language : | French (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 02, 2005 | | Summary | The Price of Perfection | Content
 | This film takes place in the near future in a dystopian America, in which most children are genetically engineered to eliminate risks for common diseases and to increase the probability of having desirable characteristics, such as mathematical or musical ability. Children born the old-fashioned way are known as "In-valids," and form a permanent underclass, assumed to be constitutionally inferior to their more systematically planned peers. In this world, DNA from any source can be easily and quickly mapped to tell you all you want to know about potential employees, lovers, or criminal suspects. In theory, this world is supposed to create healthy, "perfect" children, but the cost of this perfection is steep.
I'm not normally a devotee of science fiction, but this film works well as science, fiction, and social commentary. The genetics is solid. The claims made are modest and the technology described here either already exists or could exist in the near future. The effects of genes are expressed as probabilities, which is not only good science but key to Gattaca's attack on genetic determinism. Westerners have already fallen under the sway of the myth that our genes determine our future health and ability, and this film shows where such a misconception could lead. I also love the creepy little details, especially the genetically engineered pianist who has compositions written just for him.
As fiction this film includes a love story, a murder mystery, and an underdog story about a man against a whole society that doesn't believe in him, and each of these stories works fairly well. The three central characters, well-acted by Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, and Jude Law, are complex, dynamic, and well-conceived. They occupy different places in society, determined by the quality of their genes, and demonstrate the cost of rigid genetic determinism on everyone without giving up their humanity as characters and becoming mere puppets for the script-writers ideals.
As social commentary, this film raises issues about genetic engineering, privacy, prejudice, the weight of expectations both high and low, and human freedom in the face of deterministic scientific models. Check out the deleted scenes. There's a swipe at some procedures currently done at fertility clinics that was apparently too controversial--or unpopular--to include. Thought-provoking and original.
I only gave this film four stars because sometimes the dialogue is a little stilted and because the pace drags here and there. Also, at points the script relies a little too heavily on coincidence to move the plot forward.
However, this is generally an enjoyable and intriguing film. It is definitely worth watching, and I'm glad I own it. I've watched it several times. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 31, 2005 | | Summary | Perseverance and Patience | Content
| This story illustrates that true success can be achieved through perseverance and patience, and not necessarily due to inborn traits. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 02, 2005 | | Summary | Could this be what society is coming to? | Content
| This is a chilling look into what could be, our society's future. This movie, has a good story, with some true, sad, deepness.
The story goes, in the future, your life is molded around, your genes and how you were born. The natural born people ("In-valids") and the genetically modified people ("valids") are seperated into different classes, and different realms of life.
A young in-valid, Vincent(Ethan Hawke) has a dream to become an astronaut, despite, all the things holding him back, like his DNA for one thing. After, seeing no easy way to achieve his dream, he starts to try a different tactic. He takes the identiy, of a perfect valid, Jerome (Jude Law) that has been crippled in an accident, and now has no real future. Instead, of his perfect genes going to waste, he is used to help Vincent, achieve his goal. The real Jerome supplies the now Jerome with everything he needs to pretend to be him, from blood, to urine. Soon, Vincent now Jerome, works his way up the ranks, in a futuristic, space agency like thing, (Gattaca) and soon is a step away from his dream, when a murder case comes up at Gattaca, and threatens to ruin his whole plan. But, during all this, Vincent, falls in love with an in-valid working at Gattaca, (Uma Thurman)and she soon becomes caught up in his plan.
This is a very interesting, deep, sad, and smart story. It is a very beiliveable sci-fi movie. It shows, how humans did not only become more advanced in technology, but in the way they discrimminate. I found, it a very good movie, but heart-breaking in alot of ways. I only hope, society and science never get this advanced, it's for our own good. The ending is what set my rateing back, becasue I'm to emoitional a person not acknowledge the sad aspect, of the ending. I recomend this to any sci-fi nerd, and people who enjoy a good suspense, and story that really makes you think. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 23, 2005 | | Summary | Intense and mesmerizing | Content
| I think everything that could be said about this movie has been said by the other reviewers. I just wanted to add that even when the story itself is interesting and well developed enough to sustain the movie, the actors certainly do a marvelous job in all their parts specially Jude Law as the cynical,crippled "valid" that finds redemption too at the end of the film. His final words : I only lended You my body, You gave me Your dreams... It's worth the viewing itself.... |
| Rating | | | Date | June 07, 2005 | | Summary | not as cheesy as it could've been, thank God! | Content
| This being a Hollywood film, I was expecting lots of "The Human Spirit(TM) always triumphs over Technology" soapbox cliches---which there was, but it was relatively subtle and well-integrated into the film.
"Gattaca" works mainly due to the enormously appealing central characters, namely Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law, without whom it would've been just another made-for-cable B-movie. The script, camera work, film editing and set design are also quite good, which kept this film moving along briskly.
My main disappointment was that the plot resolution basically cops out and hinges upon the 'ole deux ex machina...however, the predictably happy ending is partially balanced out with the chosen fate of Jude Law's character which was a pretty gutsy move.
I shudder to think just how a MILLION TIMES cornier this movie would've been in the hands of a Steven Spielberg...o the horror! |
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