Review of Gattaca (1997) by Skyler B — 20 Jan 2013

Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) is a genetically inferior man. In order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel he assumes the identity of Jerome "Eugene" Morrow (Jude Law) who is genetically superior.

I like Gattaca and think that it's a very good movie. Andrew Niccol does a great job (Writer/ Director) and I feel that he has presented a very intriguing and thought provoking film. In the age of cloning and genetic modification one does wonder how long it will be before scenes from this film become a reality; simply handing in a blood sample at a job interview. To quote a few lines from Jurassic Park; "scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, that they didn't stop to think if they should." "What you call discovery, I call the rape of the natural world.".

Although Gattaca is a very different film, it does convey a very similar message and poses some important questions. Is genetically modifying children right? How much should be left to chance? How big a part does fate play in people's lives compared to what we were born with? In the fight between modified and unmodified, is it always the strongest that survives?

The acting is pretty solid throughout and on the whole the cast are all believable. I am not the biggest Jude Law fan, but for me he gives the standout performance here. He does seem to be the most interesting character whenever he is on screen. I particularly like the scene where he is stopped by the police for an identity check.

Since its release in 1997 it hasn't received any major recognition. I feel that it has been under-rated and pretty much forgotten about. I have asked many people their opinion of Gattaca and for most it's un-heard of. Unfortunately it seems that this film has fallen "through the net". I think that, that is a shame as it's quite a catch (pardon the pun). I would recommend this movie to anyone and would suggest that you won't be disappointed.

I think that Gattaca is good entertainment, it doesn't go on for too long, doesn't flood your brain with technical mumbo jumbo and definitely gives you food for thought. It won't have you on the edge of your seat biting your finger nails, nor will it have you dozing off. But it is a good, solid, decent movie about a timely topic.