Gattaca

Director:Andrew Niccol
Screenplay:Andrew Niccol
Starring:Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Elias Koteas, Alan Arkin, Ernest Borgnine, Gore
Vidal

John's Review

    Set in the 21st century, Gattaca tackles the high sci-fi concept of genetic manipulation in a future in which potential for disease, defects and aptitudes can be fully determined right at birth. Those deemed inferior, the invalids, are tossed on the lower rung of society, while the perfect specimens have the run of their world, their every dream and wish fulfilled.
    So what happens when one Vincent Freeman (Hawke), a sickly youth whose life
span is limited, decides he wants to ascend the highest peaks and join a momentous manned mission to Titan? He switches identities with a paraplegic super-athlete, Law (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) and goes to work at Gattaca Corp., where his dream seems about to come true.
    Several questions came to mind while watching this movie. The first and biggest being, why this medically superior future society can't heal a broken back? Gattaca betrays its lack of imagination at virtually every turn. It's one of those annoying SF movies that doesn't look futuristic and that doesn't really deal with its main idea, which is the meaning of humanity and how can it be determined. Instead, writer/director Andrew Niccol takes a side trip into mystery as a murder threatens Vincent's standing at Gattaca. The whodunit aspect of the film is old hat and it takes up too much time before ending with a boring resolution. At times, a jolt of adrenaline seems called for, but at least Niccol doesn't take the easy way out. He never descends to action-movie fireworks. Clearly, an effort was made to create a serious, thoughtful movie.
    In the lead, Hawke turns in a humorless performance, as does Uma Thurman as a fellow employee who discovers his secret. Unfortunately, Hawke is weak. He's adequate, not embarrassing, but he doesn't seem special enough, or driven and impassioned enough, to hook us into Vincent's dream. Actually, the film might have been better had Hawke and Jude Law, switched roles. Law is the acting discovery of Gattaca. His performance has the fierceness and emotional complexity that Hawke's lacks.
    Even appearances by Gore Vidal as Gattaca's head and Alan Arkin as a detective investigating the murder don't add much to the proceedings. Niccol does have an eye for beauty and Gattaca is certainly well-designed. But the film, unlike Michael Nyman's sentimental score, is underwhelming. It's SF on the surface but it doesn't stimulate the mind the way the best science fiction does.
    Even with all of the technical a artistic complaints that I have I enjoyed the film over all. It was an entertaining diversion from most of the other contrived pop films available in theaters and in the video store. I just wish it was a little more imaginative and perhaps could have shown a little more emotion.

Grade: C+

Back to Main Page