Solaris (2002)
Uninspired Sci-Fi Sleepathon
Starring: George Clooney, Natascha McElhone, Viola Davis, Jeremy Davies
Director: Stephen Soderbergh
Running Time: 99 minutes
US MPAA rating: N/AUK BBFC rating: 12a
Drama, Romance, Science Fiction
Hollywood please take note! Just because a book can be made into a film does not mean every book should be made into a film. And that's certainly the case with Solaris. Based on the book by Stanislaw Lem, Solaris is a weak and insipid attempt at recreating the sentiment of a book about love, hope and the inner workings of the passionate human psyche (or something).
Clooney plays Doctor Kris Kelvin, a scientist who is contacted by his old friend and mentor Doctor Gibarian who is researching the planet Solaris from an orbiting space station. Apparently strange things are afoot and Gibarian begs Kelvin to come see for himself. When Kelvin arrives at the station he discovers that Gibarian has killed himself and that (aside from two very irritating characters) everyone else is dead.
But they aren't alone. On his first night at the station, Kelvin meets his dead wife Rheya (McElhone) who appears to have been recreated from his memories and knows nothing beyond her love for him.
Like Rheya, I almost wish I had no memory of this film. With such huge directors (James Cameron and Jon Landau), one would expect bigger and better things than this. Solaris basically consists of feeble dialogue and endlessly long scenes filled with constant visuals of the planet Solaris (and gratuitous shots of Clooney's overly clenched buttocks). Absolutely nothing happens and the supremely weak and feeble plot twist ending just raises more questions than it answers.
My only question was 'why did I have to sit through the 2 hours of this movie?'
It's Got: Pretty good special effects for the planet Solaris.
It Needs: For us never to see Mr Clooney's naked bottom in a film - EVER again. EVER!
Alternatives: The Sixth Sense
Summary: A complete waste of space. Literally. See it at your peril. If you absolutely must see George Clooney's permanently clenched behind, then this is the movie for you.
Review Date: 2nd May 2003
External Links
Solaris at the IMDB
Comments4 Comments |
| I suppose it's not for everyone. If you were expecting spills, thrills and alien kills, you'd be disappointed. IF however, you're looking for a film that starts the BIG questions racing in your head, or an extremely good 'mood' setter, or beautiful replication of imagery (ANYONE who's seen the sistine chapel will know what I mean, gesturewise), and great 'joined up thinking' pieces, then this film most definitely IS for you. Yes, it's not loyal to the book, and YES, there is DEFINITELY too much clooney-buttock. But NO. It's not by any means trashy, as long as you've got more than eight functioning brain cells. |
| Comment by:- Alec | | 08 September 2004 | ip: logged |
| Vi la pelicula y realmente me encantó. Es cierto, que no tiene efectos especiales ni la parafernalia tipica de Holliwood, pero me gustó mucho. Estoy de acuerdo que la pelicula en definitiva te deja con mas interrogantes que respuestas, pero bueno ... asi es la vida. Si la critica mas aguda de este sitio guarda relacion con que el libro es mucho mejor que la pelicula, eso generalmente sucede y son muy pocas las veces en que un director puede lograr a cabalidad plasmar el pensamiento del autor en el celuloide. Lo unico que me queda por hacer es ver Solaris-1972 de Tarkowsky y leer el libro de Lem. |
| Comment by:- JP | | 22 November 2004 | ip: logged |
| An alien presence must have taken control of the original reviewer's mind. This is a thought-provoking film about the nature and meaning of reality and memory. I loved 2001 but I think this film launches the viewer in much deeper space intellectually. The ending is purposefully ambiguous' there is no "feeble plot twist ending." There are no aliens, there are no ray guns, there are intergalactic battles, just people lost - and found - in space. |
| Comment by:- Dave | www.imountainman.com | 07 December 2004 | ip: logged |
| Take 2: An alien presence must have taken control of the original reviewer's mind. This is a thought-provoking film about the nature and meaning of reality and memory. I loved 2001 but I think this film launches the viewer in much deeper space intellectually. The ending is purposefully ambiguous; there is no "feeble plot twist ending." There are no aliens, there are no ray guns, there are no intergalactic battles, just people lost - and found - in space. |
| Comment by:- Dave | www.imountainman.com | 07 December 2004 | ip: logged |
