Professor Farcwa's Movie Review

"There is no gene for the human spirit"

Interview - Professor Farcwas' Office - afternoon

The Professor sits at his desk, staring out at the glorious view of a frayed brick wall. Releasing the view isn't all it's cracked up to be.... he directs his attention to a dull coloured pigeon on the window sill.

Farcwas: Hello little birdie! Hello! Talk to dadda, yes... tweet tweet.

The bird craps on the ledge.

Farcwas: You dirty fucking bird.....

He opens the drawer under his desk to reveal a large .44 magnum handgun. As he reaches for it there's a knock at the door. Farcwas slams the drawer shut.

Farcwas: Who it is?
Us: Me.
Farcwas: Enter.

We enter the room immediately taking a seat

Farcwas: So...
Us: So...
Farcwas: You really want to know do you? You want to know about Gattaca?
Us: Yes.
Farcwas: Genetics. It's all about genetics.... the perfect human hybrid. A faultless life of health, intellect and prosperity. That's what is important. God's children no longer. Life is now conceived through a test tube. An allocated lifespan and absolutely no birth defects, addictions or mental ailments.
Us: What about choice?
Farcwas: It doesn't beat perfection. Happiness is in the genes.
Us: Huh?

The professor ignores our query.

Farcwas: Gattaca my little crusader, is one of the most reputable space research centres in the world, their employee requirements are beyond comprehension. They seek elite. The perfect human specimen. Not unbalanced God child like yourself, born from the foulness of natural conception, born imperfect....
Us: Why are you being such a prick?
Farcwas: Because I can be. The fact is that you would not have the slightest chance of getting into that place. They only seek the optimum quality of the genetically designed human.
Us: I couldn't care less.
Farcwas: Although there is one.... Vincent (Ethan Hawke). An amazing example of a God child. He beat the system.
Us: How?
Farcwas: His dream was to travel the planets and stars to work at Gattaca. Which he successfully accomplished.
Us: I thought they only seeked the elite?
Farcwas: He plagiarised. Stole an identity. The identity of Mr Jerome Morrow, an English athlete and scholar born from the tube, flaw
Us: I can't see how, considering Gattaca keeps a tag on their employees through DNA tracing.
Farcwas: Through an elaborate scheme he and Jerome worked together to devise an number of ways to beat the system. Vincent or should I say, Jerome used Jerome's urine and blood to get through. Vincent's brain was sufficient enough to accomplish the rest.
Us: Amazing.
Farcwas: This is where it gets interesting. Vincent then becomes one of Gattaca's elite members. Always keeping his true self undercover. That's when the company director is murdered. Now this director was against Vincent's mission which makes Vincent a potential suspect. He then falls in love with a colleague.
Us: Was she nice? (smirk)
Farcwas: Nice enough... Furthermore, the leading investigator in the murder happens to be Vincent's brother. A genetically enhanced human.
Us: How convenient.
Farcwas: Anyway, Vincent overcomes the obstacles and achieves his dream.
Us: How inspiring. Do you think it's worth me pursuing?

The professor hesitates.

Farcwas: Why not.

We look at our watch and realise it's time to go.

Us: I best be going.
Farcwas: Please, come again.

We shake the professor's hand then exit. The professor focuses his attention back on the pigeon still on the window sill. He pulls out the handgun.........

FADE OUT

text - David Price