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Review Summaries
"Gattaca is a science fiction story about a genetically imperfect human who dreams of going into space. He is inferior to the rest of the humans because he has not been genetically enhanced. But he works hard and just as he is beginning to see his dream come true, he becomes the prime suspect in a murder case."
Alex Nicoll, Resident Scholar
"In the not-too-distant future, parents are able to choose their offspring's precise genetic makeup. Vincent (Hawke) was one of the last "natural"-born individuals, with all his defects, including poor eyesight and a heart problem that carries a high probability he will not survive past 30. He yearns to travel into space, but his genotype will not allow that. So he finances a scheme to buy another man's identity: that of a former athlete (Law) with top genetic background who has been crippled after a car accident. With his new credentials and the system-cheating methods to back them up, he gets positioned to join a crew to Titan, one of Saturn's moons, but the director of his section is murdered and a police investigation, led by a dogged Columbo-type detective (Arkin) closes in on him, just as a sleek coworker (Thurman) becomes attracted to him -- days before the flight. Low key, visually sumptuous, with a mostly lush and languid score by Michael Nyman, "Gattaca" is a thoughtful, mentally provoking film rather than an exhilarating thriller. Except for a silly recurring swimming duel theme, it was a very impressive 1997 debut by New Zealand-born writer-director Andrew Niccol, who wrote the screenplay for "The Truman Show" a year later. The title comes from the letters used to label the four primary nucleotides that make up DNA (guanine, adenine, thymine, cytosine), and there are many other witty touches: FBI agents called "Hoovers" to recall a certain infamous director and the many vacuum cleaners used in the plot, Thurman's character (Irene Cassini) named after the division in Saturn's rings, and charming supporting appearances by Gore Vidal, Ernest Borgnine, Tony Shalhoub, Elias Koteas, and, if you look fast, volleyball player/model Gabrielle Reece as a Gattaca Trainer. Perhaps the ultimate irony is that Hawke and Thurman, cast as the gorgeous but genetically flawed romantic leads in this film, subsequently married and raised a daughter of their own."
David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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Overall Review
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Plot
**Fantasy or Science Fiction?**
- science fiction story
Spying - Investigations
Yes
What is main char. doing?
- finding a killer (criminal)
Character operated on/altered?
Yes
Kind of alteration:
- Given added abilities
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- engineer
- astronaut
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) short/medium straight
Body type
- average (man)
- muscular (man)
Unclothed?
- Chest and Buttocks
Events of movie makes character more...
- tougher
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
- physically sick
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
- Female
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
- blonde
Hair style
- (man) short/standard straight
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn, straight
Body type
- muscular (man)
How much in movie?
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
- champion of justice
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 40%
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- average (man)
Ethnicity
- White
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physical condition
- average physique
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Setting
Earth setting:
- near future (later in 21st century)
- distant future
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
In Space?
- in spacesuit
Big cities?
Yes
Misc settings
- lab
Kind of city
- Beautiful sparkling advanced city
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Tone of movie
- depressed/sad
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- kissing
- seeing nude male butt
- sex under blankets
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
Kinds of F/X
- exotic big cities
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