The Michigan Daily - Monday, October 27, 1997 - 9A future not so bright in 'Gattaca' Stunning visuals, good genetics can't engineer the perfect film By Neal C. Carruth Daily Arts Writer The most frustrating and dissatisfy- ing films are those that locate them- selves on the line between greatness and banality. The filmswe love arethe ones that find a position deep on one side, or the other, of this divide. But a film like R "Gattaca," which turns on a dime between the majes- and the .trite, akes th e At Ann depressed over the financial interests that cut at the heart of artistic and intellectual integrity. "Gattaca" takes place in the "not-too- distant-future" when human beings are genetically engineered for excellence, and those without the economic clout to ,procure such procedures risk bringing : h children destined for a life on the argins of society. Ethan Hawke stars Vincent, a young man whose unpromising genetic makeup will pre- vent him from fulfilling his dreams. Determined to become a space trav- eler, an option open only to those who pass genetic muster, the "In-Valid" ,Vincent assumes the identity of a social "Valid," named Jerome Morrow (Jude Law). Jerome, crippled after an acci- dent, aids Vincent in his pursuit of his y oals by providing him with his valu- rle blood and urine, the biological A markers that verify a person's identity in the film's vision of the future. A murder at the Gattaca Corporation, where Vincent/Jerome is employed, jeopardizes his concealed identity, and risks revealing his "In-Valid" status. 'And the re-emergence of an old family rivalry, which unfortunately is E VI E' made to occupy the heart of the Gattaca picture, puts Hawke's character in even more dan- rbor 1&2 & Showcase ger. Such goings- on nearly de-rail the film, too, causing it to lose sight of the fascinating moral and psychological issues suggested by the premise. Adding to the frustration, "Gattaca" contains some of the most arresting visuals of the past several years. We are treated to a sunrise reflected by a sea of solar panels, and a disorienting, verti- go-inducing love scene between Hawke and Uma Thurman, who plays the film's love interest Irene. Also, "'Gattaca" features a handful of zesty supporting performances. The novelist Gore Vidal is cast as director Josef, Vincent/Jerome's super- visor at Gattaca, and he plays the authoritarian prig with great gusto. Alan Arkin shows up as a detective investigating the murder, and he appears to be having as much fun as Vidal. Even Hawke and Thurman, neither of whom are designed to carry a film on their shoulders, are unusually agree- able. But we never really warm to Hawke, and occasionally, in the picture, he strikes one as having paid little thought as to how to approach a partic- ular scene. It's not obvious that he was the best choice to play Victor, a highly motivated auto- didact. Then again, at least < Charlie Sheen wasn't cast in the part., Thurman's highly exotic face lends itself{ well to the futuristic i' l milieu. But keeps the audi- : ence several steps removed. from her char- acter. So not only do we fail Thurman and Hawk to make a con- dress-up in the frusi nection with Hawke's character, but it's hard for us to understand what he sees in Irene. Then, there's the matter of the script itself. First-time writer-director Andrew Nicol probably should have enlisted help from Vidal, while he had him cap- tive on the set. (After all, Vidal is a vet- eran of the early days of live television drama, and he has written a few fine screenplays, including 1964's "The Best Man.") Nicol unsuccessfully attempts to match the film's stylized visuals, which look both forward and backward in time, with noirish exchanges between Hawke and Thurman. The laughter they receive was probably unintended. Characters drop out of and reappear in Nicol's script in an uneven and dis- tracting manner. The most interesting characters, namely Vidal's and Thurman's, remain obscured in shadow, not given a chance to speak for themselves. Also, Nicol appears to have used the O.J. Simpson criminal trial jury as an index of the aver- age American's scientific literacy. He, or perhaps his producers . (one, of whom was Danny DeVito), simpli- fies the science content of the film and spoon- feeds it to the play film noir audience. Not sting "Gattaca" only is this insult- ing, but the com- plexities of genetic engineering are ironed out so that it becomes little more than pretense. I hope Nicol gets the chance to make more movies, though. The New Zealand native's background in com- mercials has endowed him with the ability to compress a great deal of infor- mation into a single image, or series of images. There is promise here, and given more opportunities, Nicol may be able to engineer quite a career for himself. "Gattaca, please hold." Smooth operator Uma Thurman plays Irene In "Gattae." _.: ' a ;: <; i . t.... ,. ,a" A , " eI tra El?;- }: ; X . , f,. ;'> : {7.,. ' .; ' ' i S y ::; {:, _ ... :t _. >. ' '". yti, F r' F ti 4} K " si. N *.-N ' ,. -; 'h$ ;1 Al } ,:$" ' t . Destination: Graduate School CP&P Featured Programs "At A Glance" "'9 r .-Z nnel Vslion:. ethan Hawke stars as "In-ValId" everyman Vincent., VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR INFLUENZA PREVENTION STUDY The University School of Public Health seeks volunteers to participate in a medical study evaluating an experimental antiviral for the prophylaxis of influenza infection. To be considered for this study, candidates must: " be 18 years of age or older and in good health; " currently have no influenza-like symptoms; symptoms include fever plus head and muscle aches, cough and sore throat; " be willing to receive treatment and participate in evaluations;. " be available Fall 97 and Winter 98 terms. Involvement in the study will require an initial screening exam and administration of drug once a day for 28 days after the influenza epidemic has been announced. There is no cost to participants accepted into the study. All examinations, laboratory tests and study treatment drug will be free of charge. An honorarium of $175 will be paid to participants who com- plete the study. For more information, please attend an informational meet- ing at the SPH II Auditorium on October 31, 3:00 or ovember 3, 7:00. Or see our web site at ttp://www.umich.edu/-stopflu and follow instructions for emailing us at stopflu@umich.edu. )rAUSTRALIA O CANADA 0 CHILE O CHINA O CZECH REPUBLIC 0 .V 0 0 The University of Michigan 313 764 4311 tel Offic" of International Programs 313 764 3229 fax G513 Michigan Union S530 South State Street 0 AnnArborMichigan 48109-1349 s PRESENTS: R INFORMATION MEETINGS about STUDY ABROAD o 0 THISWE EK. Wednesday. October 29, 1997 Exploring Graduate School Options In: =Psychology and Counseling Mon., Oct. 27 =Arts, Ideas, and Humanities Tues.. 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