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A low budget science fiction thought-provoker from director Andrew Niccol (who brought us the almost as good and similarly overlooked Lord of War), Gattaca is about a subject that's just as relevant now than it was at the time of the film's release, if not more so. That subject is human genetic engineering; the name Gattaca is made from the four letters of the human genome. In this plausible version of the near future - no exact date is given, which is often a good idea because it stops a film from seeming dated (the title of 2001: A Space Odyssey now seems ill-advised) - babies are screened at birth for genetic defects and their life expectancy is calculated straight away. Most births are not natural any more; instead, parents visit clinics which screen embryos for defective genes and remove them. Inherited diseases are a thing of the past. Although the film's narration states that genetic discrimination is illegal, it evidently occurs everywhere in society; artificially created people, 'valids', get the best jobs, while 'in-valids' have to put up with menial labour.
Ethan Hawke's Vincent is not happy with the status quo, however. As a naturally conceived in-valid he has the usual flaws: he wears glasses, and is diagnosed as having a high risk of heart trouble. But Vincent has since childhood, as shown in an extended flashback at the start of the film, dreamt of travelling into space, but only genetically perfect people would be allowed to do so. Therefore he takes the identity of Jude Law's Ethan, who is paralysed from the waist down due to being hit by a car, yet boasts an enviable genetic code. Every day Vincent must rigorously guard against detection - even an eyelash could give him away - but when the director of the space program is suddenly and brutally murdered, everyone working there is put under intense scrutiny. Niccol creates a futuristic thriller with some superb sequences of suspense, helped by its excellent cast. Jude Law was unknown at the time and delivers what remains one of his best performances, sparring well with Hawke, and the recent Oscar winner Alan Arkin excels as a suspicious detective.
With relatively little money to play with, Niccol does not create a version of the future that calls attention to itself, resulting in a look that will probably endure far better than some higher budget offerings. The sparse look is very distinctive, with the extensive use of coloured filters and carefully chosen locations adding up to a very successful whole. Even the use of vintage cars fits in well. For once this is a small film with big ideas that doesn't seem hamstrung by its lack of budget; surely Niccol had to cut corners but he solved any problems with great ingenuity. Importantly, and perhaps by necessity, the focus is a very small one, creating a very personal story that ultimately even manages to become quite touching. The final scene manages to be both uplifting and sombre at the same time, which proves the film's undeniable and commendable emotional weight.
The extras
As quite an early DVD release, Gattaca isn't overflowing with extras. A short featurette of around five minutes offers little insight, but at the six deleted scenes are worth a watch. There's also the trailer, filmographies and other minor stuff. (A special edition has recently been released but it isn't particularly well-endowed with extras either.)
The summary
Gattaca is often forgotten when thinking about great science fiction, but that deserves to change. It is an extremely strong effort that deals with some provocative ideas.
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