Friday, February 22, 2013

GATTACA

     I watched the film Gattaca again tonight.  I can't watch it without crying at the ending, proud for Vincent and--  well, no spoilers.  I think it's one of the best science fiction films of all time, gracefully balancing the need to clue the viewer in with the need for the characters to naturally inhabit their world.  --And the photography/sets/music are simply stunning.

     Plus, it's a film about individual heroism, success despite almost overwhelming odds.  If you haven't seen it, if you like SF and film noir, if you like to see the underdog earn his day -- you may like this film.

     Warning: silver lamé jumpsuits, hovercars and big, sweeping views of gadget-studded spacecraft lumbering majestically though the starry void are nowhere in evidence and the most dangerous weapon seen is a pocket-sized vacuum cleaner.  It's a thriller nonetheless, a murder mystery and plenty more.

10 comments:

Jeffro said...

Oh yeah. Great film. The doctor and his motivation at the end definitely pushes my buttons, as does the sacrifice a certain other character makes.

And since it wasn't about the technology but the characters, that aspect was soooo minimalistic.

And it had Earnest Borgnine in it. Winnah all around.

Anonymous said...

The director also did The Truman Show and In Time, both enjoyable. The special effects come secondary to the characters.

j.

Keads said...

I just put it on the list for this weekend. Thanks for that!

Anonymous said...

I agree that this is one of the best movie adaptations of a SciFi story out there. I've always felt that truly good science fiction is less about the technology and more about the human perspective in relation to that technology.

Roberta X said...

Yep. *Stories* are about *people.* I like the futuristic aspects but a lot of SF films and TV seem to forget that to the characters, it's just normal stuff.

og said...

"I was conceived in the Riviera"

I was always amused that they basically fly the spaceship in business suits.

Roberta X said...

That never bothered me -- a dozen launches a day? That thing's a shuttle; it's got to be like flying from NYC to Chicago. Looks like the Titan crew are all passengers at this stage; the long-range vehicle is probably waiting in orbit.

It doesn't surprise me that a conformist culture like the one shown -- and the even more so corporate culture of Gattaca -- has them flying in natty black suits and proper haircuts.

Casting is brilliant -- Gore Vidal is exactly creepy enough.

Matthew said...

Good point. To the Jetsons it wasn't their "flying car", it was just the car.

MSgt B said...

Haven't seen that in years.
Awesome movie.
Wonder if it's on Netflix...

SordidPanda said...

There should be a sequal titled: CTAATGT