Our Flick of the Week is “Gattaca,” a particularly brainy and thoughtful science-fiction picture, and what a rarity that is. Much of the genre is filled with futuristic doom and gloom adventures in metallic outfits. “Gattaca” is set in a frightening future to be sure — genetic engineering of “perfect” babies has resulted in a culture that punishes imperfection — but that premise is more than a launching pad for action sequences. It’s the very subject of the film, leading us to issues we as a society undoubtedly will encounter someday soon. “Gattaca” is also great to look at, funny and unpredictable.
The story is complicated to set up. Basically, a young computer whiz (Ethan Hawke) dreams of exploring space, but he’s prevented because he was a natural birth and has flaws. And so he rents the genetic identity — everything from bodily fluids to hair samples — of a “perfect” young man, who was disabled in an accident, hoping to qualify for a space mission.
The problem is that he must fool the incredibly tight security system at the outer space-oriented Gattaca Corp., where tiny blood samples are taken every time one enters. There he meets a beautiful co-worker (Uma Thurman, who proves equal to her first complicated role), and obviously makes a connection.
The less I tell you about it, the more you will enjoy “Gattaca.” But know this: It is most unusual to see a futuristic movie and have ideas — not explosions — dominate. Rated PG-13. (star) (star) (star) 1/2
– FAIRY TALE: A TRUE STORY. This children’s story is really aimed at a more adult audience, telling the fanciful account of an incident in 1917 England where a couple of little girls claimed to have seen pixies in a stream near a relative’s home. Photographs are taken and published, and some of the leading lights of the day, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and visiting American illusionist Harry Houdini, become involved in the ensuing investigation. The film argues that we need illusions as much as reality, but that notion is obviously pitched at an older audience. Younger children, in my opinion, will not understand this film. PG. (star) (star) (star)
– 4 LITTLE GIRLS. Spike Lee’s powerful documentary that reminds of a critical, galvanizing moment in the Civil Rights movement — the cowardly bombing of a black Birmingham, Ala., church and the resultant killing of four children. What is special about Lee’s work is that his contemporary interviews with eyewitnesses to history are even more compelling than the vintage documentary material. No MPAA rating. (star) (star) (star) 1/2
– A LIFE LESS ORDINARY. A complete comedic failure with a hackneyed plot about a couple of angels threatened with the loss of their wings if they can’t get two people on Earth to fall in love and remain together. Apparently “the big guy” is upset about the exploding divorce rate. But rather than write smart characters and place them in contemporary situations, the writers of this mess cobble together a story about kidnapping and ransom and have the angels (Delroy Lindo and Holly Hunter — what’s she doing in a mess like this?) try to make the kidnapper (Ewan McGregor) and the kidnappee (Cameron Diaz) fall in love. This is pure hokum that would have been better written in Hollywood in the 1930s. R. (star)
– TELLING LIES IN AMERICA. A surprisingly gentle, autobiographical piece by screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, who has ignited controversy with his lurid, big money scripts for “Jagged Edge,” “Basic Instinct” and “Showgirls.” He tells the story of an immigrant boy with golden American dreams who begins acting on them by winning a disc jockey’s contest that allows him to work the deejay’s dance parties. The setup is terrific, but then the script tries to live up to its profound title by involving the kid in the music industry’s payola scandal of the 1960s. This is all-too-familiar movie territory. The performances by Brad Renfro as the boy and Kevin Bacon as the deejay are fine; I wish Eszterhas had taken their characters to a more interesting place. PG-13. (star) (star) 1/2
– = New this week