Set in the not-too-distant future, GATTACA depicts a world in which genetic engineering leads to the production of Nietzschean ubermenschen, or super-people, who are the only ones entitled to go on elite space missions.  Through an accident of birth, Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), finds himself part of an inferior race; but exchanges identity with Jerome Morrow (Jude Law), who has the elite birth but lacks mobility.  Jerome gives Vincent his blood, eyelashes and other aspects of his personality: Vincent plays the part convincingly.  However things start to go wrong when a murder takes place, and Detective Hugo (Alan Arkin) goes in pursuit of the perpetrator.  The film contains plenty of futuristic costumes and settings, but its subject-matter is set firmly in the present, concerning the importance of fulfilling one's dreams, even if it means exchanging aspects of one's identity for another.  Hawke turns in a convincing performance; but the end of the film we admire him for the way in which he triumphs over adversity to achieve his goal.  Gore Vidal turns up in a cameo role as Director Josef, the boss of the elite unit; it seems appropriate that such a unique personality, who spent his life undergoing just the same trials that Vincent does in the film, should be cast in such a role.