Gattaca
I do enjoy a good Sci-Fi film. It doesn’t need to be a whiz bang special effects spectacular, just as long as it has a damn good storyline. For example, one of my favourite Sci-Fi films is "Contact" and although it has some great effects in places, the great plot is the main driver of the film...
I do enjoy a good Sci-Fi film. It doesn’t need to be a whiz bang special effects spectacular, just as long as it has a damn good storyline. For example, one of my favourite Sci-Fi films is "Contact" and although it has some great effects in places, the great plot is the main driver of the film.
So, if like me you prefer your Sci-Fi to be a little more intelligent than say "Lost in Space" then read on as you’ll be in for a real treat with this film. As usual if you’d rather not know anything about the plot outline then jump on a section.
Plot
In the not too distant future genetic engineering has advanced to a level that allows parents to have designer children. This has lead to a two-tier culture with natural born people or In-valids as they are called being regarded as second-class citizen. Vincent (Ethan Hawke) is an In-valid who desperately wants to become an astronaut, he has no chance of course as an In-valid would never get that kind of job.
He meets a Valid named Jerome (Jude Law) who agrees to give Ethan his personality in exchange for cash. With the use of samples of Jerome’s skin, blood, urine and hair Ethan starts his training with the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation and the plan is working well until there is a murder in Gattaca and the police start their hunt for the murderer.
Video / Audio
The picture comes in a 2.35:1 Anamorphic format. There’s quite a contrast in the locations of the film with outside locations being very dark and cold and interiors being very warm and well lit. The disc copes with both these extremes perfectly. Sharpness and clarity are very good throughout and there’s only the occasional fleck or film scratch.
The audio track is in Dolby Digital 5.1 format. This is a dialogue heavy film so there isn’t a great deal here to tax the various channels. Having said that there are plenty of subtle surround sounds used in both internal and exterior locations that help envelope you in the whole experience. I also have to say that the musical score on this film is excellent it really adds to the feel of the film.
Extras
On the extras side there’s a Making of Featurette, this is just over six minutes long and isn’t really much more than an extended trailer. There’s a selection of Lost Scenes, there are six scenes in total and one quick out-take. There’s a selection of Cast & Crew Bios. Finally, there’s some Photo & Poster Galleries and a Theatrical Trailer.
Overall
I enjoyed this film very much; it has a very unusual style to it. Although it’s set in the future, the locations have a very old fashioned retro feel to them. For example the buildings have a very classical look and although the cars are obviously electrically powered they again have a very old fashioned style. In some ways the film reminds me of Terry Gilliams "Brazil". Not in the sense of the plot of course as it’s very much a different story, but more in the general feel of the whole thing.
One of the things I really liked was the fact that I didn’t see a lot of the plot twists and developments coming, unlike a lot of films. The acting is also superb throughout, in particular is really enjoyed the role played by Jude Law as I thought he played it perfectly.
Although it’s a fairly slow paced film, it still somehow manages to keep you on tender hooks as Ethan fights a constant struggle to keep his secret hidden from the authorities. I think the other thing about the film the grabs you is the fact that parts of it are probably not that far fetched with the constant advances in Gene research going on at the moment.
So overall, if you want a sophisticated Sci-Fi with a great plot and an excellent cast that’s supplied on a good quality DVD then give it a shot as you won’t be disappointed. My only complaints are that some more extras would have been nice and it comes in one of those horrible super jewel cases. Other than that it gets a well-deserved 4.5 from me.
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