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Gattaca
Other // PG-13 // May 6, 1998
List Price: $19.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
I still believe that "Gattaca" is one of the most underappreciated films of the late 1990's and one of the most beautiful, poetic and well-written films of the past couple of years. The film was mis-marketed by the studio, and quickly faded from box offices. Those who haven't seen it will find a marevelous sci-fi drama, both thought-provoking and emotional.
The film stars Ethan Hawke as Vincent, who is born much like many are now, what we consider the "natural" way. His parents did not choose the option of using genetic engineering, which has become available in the film's "not-too-distant-future" setting. Those who are not genetically engineered are given the lower jobs in society and looked down upon, called "in-valids". He seeks out a local "dealer", who introduces him to Jerome Morrow, a superior man who was injured in an accident. With a little help, the two switch places. A murder mystery is the underlying plot, but it doesn't figure in that much, and the film goes far further with other pieces of the story. There is also a great twist at the end which I will not reveal.
Vincent's dream ever since he was little is to be an astronaut; to get even an interview, he needs the material of a superior person. In this future, there is no "past experience" or even a resume. The interview is a blood sample or a urine test to examine your DNA.
The film does a phenomenal job creating a subtly futuristic world on a fairly small(18m) budget. Cinematography by Slawomir Idziak("Blue", John Sayle's "Men With Guns") is excellent, adding cold sharpness to the interiors and a golden tone to many of the outdoor sequences. The 2.35:1 frame is always filled very well. Michael Nyman's outstanding score adds emotion and drama to each scene it appears in.
Performances are also excellent. Some have thought Ethan Hawke's acting to be less than solid, but in the right role he can be quite good. Jude Law("Talented Mr. Ripley") has an almost perfect performance as the perfect individual who is unhappy with the burden of perfection, and Uma Thurman is fairly solid as Irene, the near-perfect co-worker who Hawke's character falls for.
Although the film is not fast paced, many scenes generate a remarkable amount of tension as the audience waits to find if Hawke's character will be found out. The film is impressively written, with a fascinating plot and interesting characters. On a small budget, director Andrew Niccol(writer of "The Truman Show") has created a convincing world and thought-provoking movie.
The DVD
VIDEO: Tristar's 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer is the usual excellence from the studio, providing a perfect presentation for the film's cold interiors and the warm glows of the outdoor world. Sharpness is excellent throughout, and remains consistent through all conditions. Clarity is never lacking, and detail is excellent.
Colors are solid, but as with the film's intent, colors are sometimes fairly subdued. They do look solid and pleasing when warmer colors do appear, though. Flaws are pretty minor; there's a spot or two where trace amounts of pixelation appear. This is hardly noticable and definitely not distracting. All-in-all an excellent transfer, and an improvement over the laserdisc, my copy of which suffered from the dreaded "laser rot", which some laserdiscs eventually face.
SOUND: The sound of "Gattaca" is always enjoyable, even in the most subtle moments. The mostly dialogue-driven movie takes steps to create a spacious, pleasing environment in even the scenes at the "Gattaca" building. The best element of the soundtrack in my opinion remains the haunting and brilliant score by Michael Nyman, which fills the room and washes over the listener. The score adds greatly to the film's drama and emotion, and sounds wonderful here, on the film's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack.
Surround use is perfect; not overdone or lacking. They add an airy, open quality, with various subtle sounds in the interior sequences and soft breezes during the outdoor scenes. During a few scenes such as Hawke's character trying to cross a highway, they do become more involved. Dialogue is consistently clear and natural, as well. A great soundtrack that illustrates how even a smaller, dialogue-driven film can offer an involving, enveloping audio experience.
MENUS:: Basic, non-animated menus with film-themed art.
EXTRAS: The trailer, a short featurette, and 5 deleted scenes - a couple of which are fairly major in content and definitely are worth seeing. Also, a jokey outtake is included.
Final Thoughts: Outstanding movie, excellent DVD - although I still would like to see this re-visited with even more content.
I still believe that "Gattaca" is one of the most underappreciated films of the late 1990's and one of the most beautiful, poetic and well-written films of the past couple of years. The film was mis-marketed by the studio, and quickly faded from box offices. Those who haven't seen it will find a marevelous sci-fi drama, both thought-provoking and emotional.
The film stars Ethan Hawke as Vincent, who is born much like many are now, what we consider the "natural" way. His parents did not choose the option of using genetic engineering, which has become available in the film's "not-too-distant-future" setting. Those who are not genetically engineered are given the lower jobs in society and looked down upon, called "in-valids". He seeks out a local "dealer", who introduces him to Jerome Morrow, a superior man who was injured in an accident. With a little help, the two switch places. A murder mystery is the underlying plot, but it doesn't figure in that much, and the film goes far further with other pieces of the story. There is also a great twist at the end which I will not reveal.
Vincent's dream ever since he was little is to be an astronaut; to get even an interview, he needs the material of a superior person. In this future, there is no "past experience" or even a resume. The interview is a blood sample or a urine test to examine your DNA.
The film does a phenomenal job creating a subtly futuristic world on a fairly small(18m) budget. Cinematography by Slawomir Idziak("Blue", John Sayle's "Men With Guns") is excellent, adding cold sharpness to the interiors and a golden tone to many of the outdoor sequences. The 2.35:1 frame is always filled very well. Michael Nyman's outstanding score adds emotion and drama to each scene it appears in.
Performances are also excellent. Some have thought Ethan Hawke's acting to be less than solid, but in the right role he can be quite good. Jude Law("Talented Mr. Ripley") has an almost perfect performance as the perfect individual who is unhappy with the burden of perfection, and Uma Thurman is fairly solid as Irene, the near-perfect co-worker who Hawke's character falls for.
Although the film is not fast paced, many scenes generate a remarkable amount of tension as the audience waits to find if Hawke's character will be found out. The film is impressively written, with a fascinating plot and interesting characters. On a small budget, director Andrew Niccol(writer of "The Truman Show") has created a convincing world and thought-provoking movie.
The DVD
VIDEO: Tristar's 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer is the usual excellence from the studio, providing a perfect presentation for the film's cold interiors and the warm glows of the outdoor world. Sharpness is excellent throughout, and remains consistent through all conditions. Clarity is never lacking, and detail is excellent.
Colors are solid, but as with the film's intent, colors are sometimes fairly subdued. They do look solid and pleasing when warmer colors do appear, though. Flaws are pretty minor; there's a spot or two where trace amounts of pixelation appear. This is hardly noticable and definitely not distracting. All-in-all an excellent transfer, and an improvement over the laserdisc, my copy of which suffered from the dreaded "laser rot", which some laserdiscs eventually face.
SOUND: The sound of "Gattaca" is always enjoyable, even in the most subtle moments. The mostly dialogue-driven movie takes steps to create a spacious, pleasing environment in even the scenes at the "Gattaca" building. The best element of the soundtrack in my opinion remains the haunting and brilliant score by Michael Nyman, which fills the room and washes over the listener. The score adds greatly to the film's drama and emotion, and sounds wonderful here, on the film's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack.
Surround use is perfect; not overdone or lacking. They add an airy, open quality, with various subtle sounds in the interior sequences and soft breezes during the outdoor scenes. During a few scenes such as Hawke's character trying to cross a highway, they do become more involved. Dialogue is consistently clear and natural, as well. A great soundtrack that illustrates how even a smaller, dialogue-driven film can offer an involving, enveloping audio experience.
MENUS:: Basic, non-animated menus with film-themed art.
EXTRAS: The trailer, a short featurette, and 5 deleted scenes - a couple of which are fairly major in content and definitely are worth seeing. Also, a jokey outtake is included.
Final Thoughts: Outstanding movie, excellent DVD - although I still would like to see this re-visited with even more content.
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