Gattaca (1997)
Everyone I knew loved the science fiction film Gattaca, so by the time I watched it, it had quite a bit of hype to live up to. Surprisingly, it lived up to every bit of it, and I really enjoyed the movie! Coming from someone who generally hates futuristic movies, my recommendation should be duly noted.
Imagine going to the doctor’s office with your spouse, after deciding you want to have a child, and hand-selecting genes from your marital pool. Your husband’s blue eyes, your cheekbones, your eyesight, your husband’s height, etc. In Gattaca’s world, that’s what parents-to-be can do! I thought that concept was extremely alluring, and when I learned the main plot was about a “love child”—someone who was conceived the old-fashioned way—who tries to fit in among a world of perfect beings, including his hand-picked brother, I was sold.
Ethan Hawke takes the leading role as the imperfect man, and he gives the performance of his career. While he’s been typecast now in deadbeat-Dad roles, Gattaca reminds audiences how he started his career, as a handsome, likable leading man. His inner conflict is palpable through the screen, and in the many scenes that threaten exposure of his true identity, audiences are nearly tortured with tension.
Uma Thurman plays Ethan’s love interest, and they fell in love offscreen during the filming. If you tell yourself to forget that their marriage didn’t last, it’s pretty cute to see them onscreen together. Taking third billing is Jude Law, very well-cast as a genetically perfect man. While his part of the story is pretty sad, he gives a very powerful and memorable performance. If you’ve never seen him in a movie or don’t usually like him, this is a great one to watch.
Fans of this genre will almost undoubtedly love this movie, and as proven by my glowing review, even people who prefer more realistic settings will probably still love it. Yes, it takes place in the future, but the performances bring an incredible amount of realism and emotional tension to the film.
More Jude Law movies here!
Imagine going to the doctor’s office with your spouse, after deciding you want to have a child, and hand-selecting genes from your marital pool. Your husband’s blue eyes, your cheekbones, your eyesight, your husband’s height, etc. In Gattaca’s world, that’s what parents-to-be can do! I thought that concept was extremely alluring, and when I learned the main plot was about a “love child”—someone who was conceived the old-fashioned way—who tries to fit in among a world of perfect beings, including his hand-picked brother, I was sold.
Ethan Hawke takes the leading role as the imperfect man, and he gives the performance of his career. While he’s been typecast now in deadbeat-Dad roles, Gattaca reminds audiences how he started his career, as a handsome, likable leading man. His inner conflict is palpable through the screen, and in the many scenes that threaten exposure of his true identity, audiences are nearly tortured with tension.
Uma Thurman plays Ethan’s love interest, and they fell in love offscreen during the filming. If you tell yourself to forget that their marriage didn’t last, it’s pretty cute to see them onscreen together. Taking third billing is Jude Law, very well-cast as a genetically perfect man. While his part of the story is pretty sad, he gives a very powerful and memorable performance. If you’ve never seen him in a movie or don’t usually like him, this is a great one to watch.
Fans of this genre will almost undoubtedly love this movie, and as proven by my glowing review, even people who prefer more realistic settings will probably still love it. Yes, it takes place in the future, but the performances bring an incredible amount of realism and emotional tension to the film.
More Jude Law movies here!