Gattaca (1997)

reviewed by
Scott Renshaw


GATTACA (Columbia) Starring: Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Alan Arkin, Jude Law, Loren Dean. Screenplay: Andrew Niccol. Producers: Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher. Director: Andrew Niccol. MPAA Rating: PG-13 (profanity, sexual situations, violence) Running Time: 105 minutes. Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.

GATTACA arrives with the kind of "torn from today's headlines" premise which should guarantee a provocative story. Studies suggesting genetic predispositions for certain medical conditions and stories of cloned animals have generated the uneasy feeling that ethics are trailing science by too wide a margin. On the heels of those stories comes a film about a near-future where genetic determinism has turned America into a de facto caste system. A blood test at birth brands every individual with an incontrovertible marking post of his or her potential; those whose base pairs don't line up quite right (a chance of developing diabetes, perhaps) are relegated to the fringes of society. Parents genetically engineer offspring rather than risking a "faith birth," because spinning the ribonucleic roulette wheel could have Junior designated a janitor before the umbilicus is cut.

Into that world steps Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), a "faith birth" doomed from the start with myopia and a weak heart. Vincent, however, isn't willing to play by the rules, not when his dream is to enter the space program headquartered at Gattaca. Enter a black marketeer (Tony Shalhoub) whose business is helping the genetically disadvantaged. Vincent is introduced to Jerome Morrow (Jude Law), a stellar genetic specimen who, inconveniently, was rendered parplegic in an auto accident. Thus Vincent and Jerome become a team -- Vincent providing a healthy body for Jerome's identity, and Jerome providing the necessary bodily fluids to validate that identity. There is only one small problem, or rather several million of them: any hair, any cell, any trace of Vincent could betray his true identity as an "invalid."

Writer/director Andrew Niccol does an exceptional job of guiding the feel of this brave new world, from Jan Roelfs' sterile production design to Michael Nyman's restrained score, creating an intriguing backdrop for the exploration of how people deal with externally imposed limitations. The concept works; Niccol's execution of that concept often doesn't. GATTACA ends up reading much better than it plays, though it doesn't play terribly. It's simply an intellectualized film experience, one which attempts to make its point in overly hushed tones.

In principle, that's a noble goal, particularly when some film-makers (who shall remain Oliver Stone) prefer to beat their messages into the back of your head. But GATTACA is framed as a suspense film and a murder mystery -- the unknown "invalid" called Vincent Freeman becomes a suspect when his hair is found where "Jerome Freeman's" boss has been killed -- and Niccol doesn't have a handle on creating the requisite tension. As many times as Vincent is almost discovered in GATTACA, the film rarely gets you caught up in his personal predicament. The subject matter is ready-made for inspiring passionate feeling, discomfort or outrage directed at a social order so contrary to our notions of personal responsibility and freedom. It's not enough for Niccol to give viewers something to nod their heads at in agreement. He should be working harder to make them angry.

It's a particularly frustrating approach because GATTACA is unimpeachable on so many other levels. The performances are rock solid, the production values impeccable, and the script well-stocked with supporting characters who have a chance to learn about themselves through Vincent's determination. It just doesn't _move_; it's a philosophy lesson more than a gripping narrative. GATTACA is well-crafted enough that it could very well leave you thinking. If it left you _feeling_ nearly as much, it might be deserving of its own headlines.

     On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 faded genes:  6.

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