Review of Gattaca (1997) by Neal A — 03 Dec 2011
Rating: A+, Gattaca is one of those science fiction films which really seems possible. I truly believe something like this could happen. The film takes place "in the not so distant future" which to me really means it could be any time from ten years to 1,000 years depending on how you look at it.
New advances in genetic engineering allow families to have their infants made with the perfect genes. The people are referred to as "valids". Those who are born of natural birth and can have many "defects" are called "in-valids".
I this society, valids get the high ranking jobs and in-valids aren't even considered. The film revolves around Vincent, am in-valid. He grows up with a life expectancy of 30 years while his younger brother Anton, a valid, receives all the praise.
Vincent isn't allowed in schools due to fear of health problems and he is told he will never fulfill his dream of becoming an astronaut. When he goes to apply to become one, they turn him down solely based on genetics, the interview for the job is just a DNA test.
His solution is to become a "borrowed ladder", a person who uses the genetics of someone else. He uses an olympic medalist's named Jerome who has been cursed to sit in a wheelchair after a car accident.
They get in without a hitch. The main plot of the story revolves around Vincent trying to keep his identity a secret and his new love life with a co-worker who is a valid but with defects. The film overall is ingenious.
It's smart and thought provoking. There are some great performances, especially from Jude Law. The theme of genetics runs through-out the film (The title is composed of the letters G,C,T, and A - DNA nitrogenous bases).
It's fun to watch and has a nice realistic tone to it. It's a great sci-fi noir flick.
This review of Gattaca (1997) was written by Neal A on 03 Dec 2011.
Gattaca has generally received very positive reviews.
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