The best thing about this is the art direction. It makes the film appear older than it actually is and gives the near future setting a strong zeerust feel, especially with the old fashioned costuming and old cars. The music is also excellent.
The story takes the premise of a future based on genetic engineering and uses it to its full potential, examining several different forms of genetic modification. It's also interesting to see some of the ways in which Vincent genetically impersonates Jerome. The plot takes some interesting twists that most viewers will not see coming and delivers a satisfying and cathartic ending.
The best character is definitely Jerome Morrow. A genetically perfect individual who is haunted by the failure of his achievements to match the perfection of his genes, his brooding personality and hidden depths make his screen time one of the film's highlights. The only real criticism I have is the characters besides Jerome are somewhat shallow. Vincent is defined by his ambition to become an astronaut despite his genetic inferiority but there isn't much else to him. Irene is just the love interest and could be cut from the movie without changing much. But overall, this film is an excellent work of art.
It may seem strange that I, someone who likes this film, would support genetic engineering, but the film's arguments against it are pretty weak once you actually think about them. At the end the film gives a list of famous historical figures with genetic diseases, claiming they would not have been born with genetic engineering. It's easy to see the hole here. It's not that they wouldn't have been born, just that they would not have had diseases. And the plot of the film is about Vincent trying to become an astronaut despite having a heart problem. But there are good reasons for screening out people with heart problems. You could suffer an attack at any time, causing the mission to fail. If you have a heart problem, maybe you just shouldn't be an astronaut.
Review of Gattaca
