GATTACA. Directed and written by ; produced by for Columbia. Starring Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. Rated PG-13 (a little not-too-graphic sex scene, a very brief glimpse of the aftermath of violent death).
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Gattaca paints a not-very enticing picture of an all-too-easily-imagined near future.
Emphasizing mood over realism, its plot contains some logical lapses that are pretty hard to get over. But the mood it creates is undeniably haunting and it gives you a lot to think about.
Gattaca is a huge company responsible for spaceship launches. The society of Gattaca is one in which genetic engineering and genetic testing have been perfected, accepted and integrated into life at every level to an astonishing degree. Astonishing, perhaps, but—with mapping of the human genome proceeding apace, and with discoveries of genes for this and that being announced frequently—not altogether unbelieveable.
A societal background summary for Gattaca will take a little time.
Your genes are manipulated, cataloged, registered and evaluated literally from cradle to grave. Newly conceived (in vitro, of course) embryos are tailored as to hair and eye color, intelligence level, susceptibility to disease, whatever the parents want.
Unless, of course, the parents have a slightly rebellious streak, or a whim, or whatever, and decide to do things the old-fashioned way, as Vincent's (Hawke) did.
At birth, he is discovered to have a high probability of dying young from heart trouble and is therefore excluded from any but the most menial jobs in the society. Being a janitor at Gattaca is especially hard on him, since he's always wanted to be an astronaut. With his genetic profile, though, there's no way he'd ever even be considered.
Through some extra-legal means, though, he is able to assume the genetic identity of one of society's supermen who was disabled in an accident, and, along with some strenuous conditioning, he makes his way not only into the ranks of Gattaca employees, but also into a position to reach for the stars.
Whew! And that's just the background. There's a murder at Gattaca, the investigation of which lets us see how this genetic registry business works on the ground, so to speak, as the gumshoes can vacuum up eyelashes, sloughed-off skins cells, and who knows what else at the crime scene, then find out quickly exactly who was there.
Naturally Vincent is suspected, naturally he's almost found out—many times—and, not too suprisingly, he acquires a girlfriend (Thurman) who believes in him.
The mystery part of the plot isn't all that great, but those investigatory details are fascinating.
Hawke is appealing, if less attractive than usual, as the square-jawed hero. Thurman looks good, but has virtually nothing of significance to do in the story, which is a real waste of charisma and talent. The most interesting relationship in the movie is that between Vincent and Jerome (Jude Law), the crippled superman whose identity he assumes. Starting out as mutually benefitted business partners, they actually begin to become friends.
Those logical lapses, though, keep Gattaca from the first rank of science fiction movies, although its visual style and its thoughtfulness about some thorny technology-and-society issues put it well above average.
[November 1, 1997. Not published]