Gattaca (1997)

I wanted to like this movie as it began because the concept appeared to be rather interesting. But as the film progressed, it seemed like one had to take more and more things for granted that defied common sense. The biggest one was the most obvious; even with Jerome Morrow's (Jude Law) insistence that no one would recognize Vincent Freeman's (Ethan Hawke) attempted impersonation, I couldn't think of anything else throughout the movie. They really DID NOT look like each other. How difficult was that for anyone to figure out?Then there was the business with the eyelash. How about trying this little experiment. Take one of your own eyelashes and randomly set it down somewhere in your home or room. Do you think you'd ever find it again? In the picture, that eyelash looked almost huge sitting there on that ledge. And how would it have gotten there? Seriously, consider the logistics required for that to happen.Then there's something that's a bit more subtle but still thought provoking. The real Jerome Morrow explained that his 'accident', getting hit by an automobile, was done on purpose. But why? As one of the elite of society, what motivation would he have had to harm himself in such a manner? Surely placing second in a swimming meet and winning a silver shouldn't have been that traumatic. Perhaps he took it to heart that a second place finish was equated to being 'first loser'. Out of everything in the movie, that made about the least amount of sense to me. What I did enjoy were the clever bits of misdirection with the tampering of DNA evidence so that Vincent could pass some of the testing requirements. But as far as being likeable, I don't think any of the principal characters succeeded on that score, and what could have passed for an ironic Twilight Zone type of ending never materialized. And if pressed to give an answer, what was so appealing about flying off to the fourteenth moon of Saturn anyway?

Great concept, interesting story I guess? definitely loses itself toward the end. Worth watching but I wouldn't buy it on blu-ray.6/10: It's okay.Blu-ray: No

Gattaca is a smart and stimulating science fiction film that succeeds on the basis of its story rather than reliance on special effects. The theme in this film revolves around one man's fight to overcome a very unique kind of discrimination. In the 'near future' world of Gattaca, there is no glass ceiling. The ceiling of the future, though invisible, is known to everyone. It is an individual's genetic code. As aptly stated in the film, this future society has "discrimination down to a science". In Gattaca, Ethan Hawke, plays Vincent Freeman a young stargazer aspiring to man a flight to Titan, one of the moons of Jupiter. The problem is that space travel is reserved for the genetically engineered elite and Vincent is a 'natural born' individual with myopia and a heart condition. All that natural birth individuals can hope for in the world of Gattaca is jobs involving menial labor.Vincent is not one to give up on his dreams. With the help of a genetic broker, Vincent has a plan to assume the identity of Jerome Morrow, played by Jude Law, who is a genetically engineered athlete who was paralyzed in an accident outside of the country. Much of the plot involves Vincent's attempts to assume the identity of Jerome and avoid having his true identity discovered, so that he can accomplish his goal of interstellar travel. The opening scenes of the movie subtly capture the viewer's attention as we see nail clippings and hair follicles fall to the floor with thundering reverberations. This serves to prime the audience for the weighty role these biological identifiers will play in the remainder of the movie. This film is full of smart and artful story telling. The director makes skillful use of montages to fill in substantial details about the character's background and struggles without stalling the forward progression and steady pace of the story. The mix of internal and external conflict that Vincent goes through, pulls the viewer in and makes his character so engaging.In addition to the struggle to overcome genetic discrimination this film also has thematic elements showing the power of the human spirit and the bravery those willing to challenge the social norms that attempt to keep individuals pigeonholed in certain roles. This movie has such an interesting mix of science fiction, suspense, noir, and inspiration. I view it as a must-see movie. Enjoy!

I saw this movie some 7 years ago and it set an incredible special ambient into my mind. It is a movie that sets your mind thinking about genetic selection. Even after so many years I get the CD from my movie collection and watch it again. It's a film house type movie just like the Bi centennial man.