90s Movie Review - Gattaca

Director: Andrew Niccol
Genre: Drama/ Science Fiction/ Thriller
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 1997
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Tony Shalhoub, Gore Vidal, Elias Koteas, Blair Underwood

Description: A genetically inferior man (Ethan Hawke) assumes the identity of a superior one (Jude Law) in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 21: A MOVIE SET IN A DYSTOPIAN WORLD
 
Review: In the near future, it will be possible to have children through genetic engineering. This way the parents can choose what color hair their child will have and also things like eye color and other physical characteristics. Also in terms of intelligence and genetic weakness, the children can be modified and thus there will be almost only perfect children. Vincent Freeman, however, is not; he was just brought into the world in a normal way. He experiences problems with this, as all perfect people get the best jobs. Vincent also has a dream to go into space, but due to a heart defect he will never qualify for this. Then he meets Jerome Morrow. He is genetically adapted, but is in a wheelchair due to an accident. In order to survive, he sells his genetic material to people who can use it. Vincent uses Jerome’s DNA to make his dream come true. The plan succeeds, but when a murder is committed, Vincent finds himself in trouble when he must go to great length to keep his genetic imperfection hidden.

Andrew Niccol has written and directed “Gattaca”. The film is a combination of science fiction, drama and thriller. Science fiction, because the story takes place in a dystopian future and thus not because of space battles. It’s about a future society, where people can have the perfect child through genetic engineering. All traits can be carefully chosen and, in addition, all genetically determined diseases are gone. However, the main character Vincent is a normal person who does not have all the advantages that a genetically perfect one does.

The story is well written and has excitement and entertainment in it. The characters come across as believable, including their actions, and they are well explored. The theme about genetic engineering is still relevant today, and therefore the movie has not lost its power so many years after its release.
It seems like a quite simple movie, but Andrew Niccol has added several layers to the story. Without moralizing to much, he shows the consequences of a perfect society and what effect this can have on some people.
Ethan Hawke has always been an actor I like to watch. He manages to convey his character’s struggles well. He is human and vulnerable, which in in contrast to the perfect people that populate the world around him. Jude Law’s character Jerome is genetically perfect who despite this fact, still did not find happiness. His performance is also convincing. Uma Thurman, although strong as well, plays Vincent’s love interest, but her character isn’t as developed as the aforementioned Vincent and Jerome.

The atmosphere of the film is sterile and cold, a perfect setting to create the right mood for this film. This all makes “Gattaca” a very interesting film with a captivating story. The combinations of genres works well and the world building and set design are really good. Highly recommended when you enjoy movies about dystopian and future societies.

Rating: 3,5 / 5