Gattaca

I watched this film a few days ago and thought it was really good, i just wondered what you guys thought if u'd seen it.......

It's a Futuristic story of a genetically imperfect man and his seemingly inobtainable goal to travel in space.

cazz
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I absolutely love this flick. I love the atmosphere that the director creates and the characterization is just great. It reminds me of the old Ray Bradbury Theatre with a sterile, lonely feel to the sets that really shows the characters sense of separation from the rest of society.

Cheers

Yeah, it's definitely one of the good intelligent swish sci-fi films that has turned up over recent years. I think the only accusation you could level at it would be that it was a bit "soul-less"/cold in some ways, tho you could even argue that was a deliberate act.

Genetic profiling is something that we're going to have to deal with over the coming years - and this is a great examination of some of the real potential outcomes for this new technology. Insurance companies are already trying to gain access to any genetic profiling people might have had done, but have been blocked by state interventions.

I think it does a great job of addressing issues like:
-the way we are more than just our DNA (the DNA-donor character of course turning out to be less of a superman than his profile might've suggested) - and the way analysis of what DNA actually does can be way off.
-social hierarchies are determined by percieved qualities of better-or-worse. What our societies percieve is most desirable becomes the genuine criteria of life "survival" - even if the perception is off. And this becomes more of a problem when technology extends our power to insist on these criteria. How do you argue that you have the potential to do something when society/technology insists categorically that you don't?
-the way humans will still struggle to overcome obstacles and change the rule book, as much as we will impose the rules on ourselves (or more likely on others )

Yeah, all round, a pretty damn satisfying, semi-noirish investigation of some real issues. Big thumbs up.

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I thought Halle Berry did a great job. Ooops, wrong movie.

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Finally saw this over the weekend. Really, really enjoyed it. Very impressive. One thing I tend to look for in sci-fi films is restraint. That is to say, too many of them feel that, in order to be feel sci-fi-ish enough, they need to have ridiculous scope and numerous shots used only to establish how futuristic everything is. It all feels so forced.

Gattaca is restrained. It doesn't show us futuristic stuff just to feel more like a sci-fi film, but only when it's relevant. The acting is solid, and the execution is dead-on the entire time. And the metaphors, even if they're a little simplistic, illustrate the film's philosophy so very well.

I also like the washed out look everything is. It contrasts with the "shiny" future we're so used to seeing.

Gonna have to watch this again at some point, I think. Without making an actual list, I think it's safe to say that this one has instantly cemented itself as one of my favorite sci-fi films.

I also just watched Gattaca this weekend. I have seen it before but I love this movie. This is one movie Jude Law was in that I liked his performance.

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I liked it a lot. I think Yoda hit the nail on the head...

Very good movie. I enjoy how it shows a plausible future. Certainly before we build robots, A.I., spaceships that travel to other galaxies, we must first master ourselves.

I think genetics, cloning, and that sort of thing are what we'll be dealing with in the future. Already there is debate about whether or not parents should be able to predetermine physical and mental characteristics of their children.

The film does pose excellent questions about the wanted vs. unwanted and if we are limited from the time we are conceived by our genetic predisposition.

Good messages in the film. I don't think it becomes too preachy. It's not my favorite sci-fi film. It might be a bit tad optomistic in how the protagonist is able to buck the air-tight system and become an astronaut despite sub-par genetics.

It's been a good deal of time since I've watched it. I'd have to look at it again, but I'd rate it in the B range.

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Love love love Gattaca. I was in the less advanced science classes in high school which meant we got to watch movies like this, Outbreak, and Finding Nemo. Let's give it up for the public school systems!

I would have to say though my favorite part of the movie was Ethan Hawke. Now, I loved the sci-fi aspects of the story and found it all very interesting but the central story with all its "underdog" appeal really struck a chord with me and the Hawke went all out in his role as Vincent/Gerome.

That swim race at the end can still get me all misty eyed and I know it must get to one of you too!

"How are you doing this Vincent?! How have you done any of this?"

I realize that there are plenty of scientists who are willing to genetically engineer a baby, and apparently there are quite a few countries which will leave them alone to do such a thing, but when the scientist gets into the cell and plays around with the genes, you know that problems will have to arise. I realize that similar problems occur on a daily basis with genetic flaws through sexual reproduction, but allowing a scientist, mad or not, to play God, is a recipe for disaster, at least until many more safeguards can somehow be insured.

P.S. Irrelevant or pertinent? A mommy gave birth to OCTUPLETS yesterday 15 miles from where I live!!

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Jeez-ah-loo! The news has been going on about that non-stop. They haven't yet said whether fertility drugs were involved but my guess (an most everybody else's) is probably "yes", so sure it's relevant. Maybe in the future instead of trying to fill the world with supermen and women, mankind will just try to flat-out fill the world with billions upon billions of regular ole people. Never know.

Actually, i think there's only been one case of a 'genetically modified human' being born so far, and that was back in the 80s & hasn't been repeated. (I don't have access to me files right now but can dig out the article later if you want )

If that's a concern to you (& ensuring novel genetic lifeforms never have novel negative outcomes is always going to be a bit of stretch ) i have to ask whether you've ever lobbied your government to label the genetically engineered ingredients in your food? Coz you should

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I think the closest we've got to Gattaca-style technology & practices so far is this sort of thing: Cancer-gene-free baby born

We're now in a position (in the UK) where IVF foetuses may get dumped in the rubbish bin if they carry genes which give them an 80pc or higher chance of exhibiting a deadly or seriously-inhibiting disease. (In this first case, the foetus has been 'cleared' tho - it's Jude Law, not Ethan Hawke )

I've got a lot of reservations about making choices over someone's future life based on percentages - from the already tricky considerations of 'aborting' an 8-cell foetus with all its shakey odds of making it to full term - to the idea of dumping all the 'Ethans' who still have some odds of having a non-afflicted life. [Of course, we all work on the principle that 'Scientists are wrong 50pc of the time' - but even if their survival stats are accurate, it makes for uncomfortable choices].

At least they're voluntary choices, for the parents involved.

[Augmentation is going to be a whole nother kettle of frothing fish heads tho. Those with the cash to splash and/or the drive are already using attention-focusing pharmaceuticals and the like at university these days. That is most likely the tip of some new lifestyle choices.]

Just saw this again after a while and it really does hold up well. Intelligent, understated and totally compelling. Jude Law is perfect in this one.

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One of the things that really "gets" me about Gattaca is how plausible its vision of the future really is. Most sci-fi--even good sci-fi, I'd say--involves extrapolating some current hysteria far beyond the point of plausibility to make a point applicable to the here and now. But I actually have trouble envisioning how the kinds of things Gattaca depicts wouldn't come into being. Not because I think everybody would be completely comfortable with it, but because of the little sales pitch the doctor in the film gives to the parents: if you don't spring for these enhancements, your child will be at a disadvantage. That argument would win over some pretty skeptical people, I would think. These are principles people will absolutely have to suffer for.

A great blend of philosophy, humanity, and fiction. One of my top twenty all-time favorites.

Well stated, Yoda

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I saw this for the first time a few months ago, I always stayed away from the movie because I thought I would just be bored and from things "friends" of mine told me that the movie would suck. But when I finally watched the movie I was hooked from the first five minutes and thought that it was an amazing movie, and I thought that Jude Law and Ethan Hawke were superb throughout the film.

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Indeed, one of the most underrated movies of the 1990's. Specially considering it is a Hollywood film so it is well distributed through the western world. I even included it into my top 100.

This is an all-time classic in my eyes. Ethan Hawke is as good as ever. Jude Law is great, and that closing scene man....

9.2 out of 10

WF

When I first saw this years ago on video I didn't appreciate it. A second viewing months ago, I changed my mind greatly. It's rather good.

Ahem:

Unlike most sci-fi, it often feels like Gattaca depicts not a possible future, but an inevitable one.