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Gattaca
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Gore Vidal, Xander Berkeley Director: Andrew Niccol Average Rating: 
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| Customer Reviews 1-5 of 395 | NEXT >> |
2009-01-06This is a great movie. I have seen it severeal times. I use it when I teach my genetics unit and the students really like it, because of its modern ators/actresses and its twisting plot.
2008-12-14This movie is taut, gripping, intriguing, wonderful. It makes its point in such an understated way, which some take to be boring, but I found riveting. A lot of movies seem to have so little respect for the audience, just relentlessly clubbing us over the head with hackneyed symbolism and dialog that sounds like it came out of Yoda to make sure we get the message. This movie avoids that, and it helped really involve me in the story without all of the contrivances.
untill the end.
I liked the ending, don't get me wrong, but the writers seem to have cracked open a few fortune cookies to supply unbelievably cheesy lines. here are a few:
"Maybe I'm not leaving, maybe I'm going home."
"I only gave you my body. You gave me your DREAM!"
"You wanna know how I did it? I never saved any for the trip back!"
These and a couple others caused too much wincing for the movie to really finish convincingly. And the sad thing is, the movie would have made its points just as convincingly, much more so in fact, if these lines had simpley been omited. I guess they just felt obligated to tack on some melodramtic pap at the end, lest any movigoer leave saying "What was the point of THAT!?"
Still, there's so little sci fi at the movies nowadays (plenty of space opera, though) that I am really appreciative of a scifi film of this quality.
2008-12-05This is a great movie. The plot is very deep. I would highly recomend this movie to anyone.
2008-12-01Gattaca is a superb motion picture, less science-fiction or political commentary than a compelling invitation to ponder old social metaphors in new ways.
On the surface, Gattaca is visually stunning, emotionally evocative, and yet subtle -- a mix of whodunit and drama that asks viewers to think about a range of current social issues, such as the social obsession with physical perfection; the allure that some people find in a super-race; injustices in the health-insurance industry; and efforts by priveleged elites to withdraw freedoms and opportunities from minorities.
Beneath the surface, the film prompts viewers to ask more basic questions:
In what ways might I be an outcast?
What is the meaning of true brotherhood?
How might family members crush sons and siblings beneath lowered expectations?
What masks or facades do I wear, and what unhealthy social forces compel me to wear them?
The orginal DVD release of Gattaca featured only the movie and some deleted scenes. The Special Edition is greatly improved, featuring both a fond retrospective by cast and crew, and a nifty little primer on genetics narrated by Gore Vidal. The only thing that's missing: A director's commentary.
Since I already own the orginal DVD, I'm undesided whether to buy the Special Edition or just rent it when I wish to view the retrospective again. The inclusion of a director's commentary would have cinched the descision. I may instead wait to buy a Blu-Ray player and then make Gattaca -- with its stunning cinematography and production design -- a first-rate choice for my first Blu-Ray DVD.
People who have not already bought the orginal can buy the Special Edition DVD with confidence, knowing they have bought a first-rate movie with very good special features.
2008-11-19This movie is really really good-looking. It is essesitally a murder mistery wrapped in science-fiction coating. Ethan Hawke plays an over-ambitious man who dreams of becoming an astronaut. Jude Law extracts pity as a crippled man confined to a wheelchair. The movie's message is that a child's physical or biological traits at birth, or even till age 10, cannot accurately predict how he/she would do in later life.
1-5 of 395 | NEXT PAGE OF REVIEWS >>
| Editorial Review |
Confidently conceived and brilliantly executed, Gattaca had a somewhat low profile release in 1997, but audiences and critics hailed the film's originality. It's since been recognized as one of the most intelligent science fiction films of the 1990s. Writer-director Andrew Niccol, the talented New Zealander who also wrote the acclaimed Jim Carrey vehicle The Truman Show, depicts a near-future society in which one's personal and professional destiny is determined by one's genes. In this society, "Valids" (genetically engineered) qualify for positions at prestigious corporations, such as Gattaca, which grooms its most qualified employees for space exploration. "In-Valids" (naturally born), such as the film's protagonist, Vincent (Ethan Hawke), are deemed genetically flawed and subsequently fated to low-level occupations in a genetically caste society. With the help of a disabled "Valid" (Jude Law), Vincent subverts his society's social and biological barriers to pursue his dream of space travel; any random mistake--and an ongoing murder investigation at Gattaca--could reveal his plot. Part thriller, part futuristic drama and cautionary tale, Gattaca establishes its social structure so convincingly that the entire scenario is chillingly believable. With Uma Thurman as the woman who loves Vincent and identifies with his struggle, Gattaca is both stylish and smart, while Jude Law's performance lends the film a note of tragic and heartfelt humanity. --Jeff Shannon
Confidently conceived and brilliantly executed, Gattaca had a somewhat low profile release in 1997, but audiences and critics hailed the film's originality. It's since been recognized as one of the most intelligent science fiction films of the 1990s. Writer-director Andrew Niccol, the talented New Zealander who also wrote the acclaimed Jim Carrey vehicle The Truman Show, depicts a near-future society in which one's personal and professional destiny is determined by one's genes. In this society, "Valids" (genetically engineered) qualify for positions at prestigious corporations, such as Gattaca, which grooms its most qualified employees for space exploration. "In-Valids" (naturally born), such as the film's protagonist, Vincent (Ethan Hawke), are deemed genetically flawed and subsequently fated to low-level occupations in a genetically caste society. With the help of a disabled "Valid" (Jude Law), Vincent subverts his society's social and biological barriers to pursue his dream of space travel; any random mistake--and an ongoing murder investigation at Gattaca--could reveal his plot. Part thriller, part futuristic drama and cautionary tale, Gattaca establishes its social structure so convincingly that the entire scenario is chillingly believable. With Uma Thurman as the woman who loves Vincent and identifies with his struggle, Gattaca is both stylish and smart, while Jude Law's performance lends the film a note of tragic and heartfelt humanity. --Jeff Shannon
If you like "Gattaca", you might also like ...
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