Gattaca is one of the most provocative sci-fi movies ever.
Imagine a world in which a child could literally be created in a test tube. He could have perfect health, high IQ and a long life expectation. In a future world where it is possible to be born practically perfect, humans that are born naturally are called “In-Valid” and are forced to do modest jobs because they are not smart enough.
The hero is a man who decides to challenge the system, his name is Vincent. He is a normal man with heart problems and a life expectancy of about 30 years and he works as a cleaner in an Aerospace Corporation.
Vincent does not accept his fate. He never has. His dream is to become a crew member on an expedition to one of the moons of Saturn. Using an illegal DNA broker, he makes a deal with a man named Jerome, who has the right genes but was paralyzed in an accident. Jerome provides him with blood samples, urine samples and an identity. But this exchange could reveal unsafe: there is the danger that Vincent will be detected since the area is controlled daily, and even an eyelash could betray him.
I belonged to a new underclass, no longer determined by social status or the colour of your skin. No, we now have discrimination down to a science.
The science fiction is flanked by romance when Vincent meets Irene, who works in the center but is not considered for space missions due to her low scores in some areas. They are attracted to one another, but love in this world can be dangerous. In fact, after kissing a man, a woman is likely to have his saliva swabbed from her mouth so she can test his prospects.
Everybody will live longer, look better and be healthier in the Gattacan world, but is this really so positive? The film takes you to a “not-too-distant” future and, disturbingly, shows what price you have to pay to be an almost perfect machine-like human.
Will a computer search be able to put Vincent together with his false identity called Jerome? Will Vincent make his space dream come true? Will Irene and Vincent be able to love each other without obstacles?
I cannot answer these questions! You can watch how it plays out by yourself if you are interested in discovering how it ends: who will win? Perfection or Imperfection?