In the near future, humanity has mastered his own genetic code. So thorough is this knowledge, in fact, that the majority of modern conceptions are performed in a petri dish, on an embryo with the lowest number of negative hereditary traits. Against the backdrop of this fanatically eugenic-conscious future, discrimination has reached new levels, as jobs and relationships are won and lost with a simple blood sample and naturally conceived children are second-class citizens.
It seems like there's always a persistent, rebellious figure when confronted with such an oppressive system, and in Gattaca's case that role is filled by Ethan Hawke as the physically modest, daydreaming genius Vincent. The bevy of hoops Hawke jumps through to maintain the illusion that he's a top-tier genetic example make up most of the film's substance, with an ongoing murder investigation pressing the matter in a few hairy new directions. Somewhere along the way Vincent stumbles into a hollow, affection-free relationship with Uma Thurman that seems to spawn more from boredom than passion.
Quite slow and methodical in nature, it's still a bright rumination on a future that already seems within grasp. Could have used a more flavorful tone, and the cast is almost universally glazed-over and dry.
This great piece of Sci-fi movies shows us a society engulfed in the power of genetics, Everything you do must have an absolute perfection to it. This movie show that the way society achieves this bij geneticaly enhancing its members, Children born without genetic enhancements are excluded from the higher achieving ashalons of society, one of these children "Vincent Freeman",played by (ethan Hawke), however takes it to another level when he decides by taking the identity of Jerome Morow (Jude Law), a genetic altered human who rents out his identity because he has fallen from grace by a personal tragidy (accident), he suffered. Vincent is hell bent on trying to cheat the system and show its flaws. By becoming a pilot for the saturnus mission. Cheating the system however isn't as easy as it seems, The film explores humanity and its many inperfections and in Essence what it means to be human.
The movie was nominated for an Hugo award, personaly i think its realy oscar material. The great acting of (law, Hawke, Uma Thurman). makes for some enjoyable viewing, with of course some smaller roles for "old school" actors like (Ernest Borgnine, Gore Vidal,
Although The Movie did receive positive reviews it wasnt a box office succes, it also sparked some discussion of genetics and discrimination in the common day world. The film however manages to achieve cult status amongs sci-fi viewers. and is an absolute must see for Sci-fi Fans
Review by HSBlockedParent2024-05-17T01:04:19Z
‘Gattaca’ (named after DNA nucleotides G, A, T, and C) is one of the best sci-fi thrillers. I don’t think I can say much about the plot without spoiling it. In a futuristic eugenics-based society, genetic selection is used to conceive children with only the best genes from their parents. Vincent (Ethan Hawke) is born from love, instead of out of a petri dish, with genetic defects (or ‘de-gene-erate’ as they were called in the film). Genetic profiling estimates his lifespan to be 30 years, but he dreams of traveling the stars. De-gene-erates are considered inferior (or ‘invalid’ in the film) and not worthy of anything beyond menial jobs, like janitorial duties. Only genetically conceived individuals (referred to as ‘valid’ in the film) may have professional jobs. Vincent must find a way to overcome his destiny with his dream. Jude Law as Jerome and Uma Thurman as Vincent’s love interest, Irene, are both phenomenal in their acting in leading Vincent to his destination. I would like to juxtapose Hawke and Law’s roles, but it would ruin the movie.
I enjoyed the subtle and intelligent manner in which Gattaca presents itself. The directing, acting, visuals, music, and script are excellent. I can see this as science more than sci-fi. I don’t know the current state of eugenics research, but global agreements banned it after World War II. However, it has come back as genetic selection and even gene editing with technologies like CRISPR. I believe it’s closer than we realize if parents choose to alter things in unborn babies such as hair color, and eventually, total eradication of many diseases. There are ethical questions, such as whether we should play god and unintended consequences. All are outside the scope of this review. I think a future like in Gattaca is around the corner and will come to fruition at some point.
Would I recommend this? Yes. My eyes were glued to the screen in its entirety. I’m still thinking about the movie and will be for years. It’s very thoughtful, intelligent, and satisfying, all wrapped in one.