Premise

A psychiatrist is sent to investigate strange occurances on board a space station.

Cast, Crew, and Other Info

George Clooney as Chris Kelvin.
Natascha McElhone as Rheya Kelvin.
Jeremy Davies as Snow.
Viola Davis as Helen Gordon.

Written and directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Based on a story by Stanislaw Lem.

The full IMDB page is here.

High Point

"You've definitely chosen the right guy."

Low Point

The ads I've seen for this were in no way representative of the movie that it is. A lot of people will be disappointed, initial word of mouth will be bad, and the box office results will not be representative of what this film deserves.

The Scores

This is not a terribly original movie. Imagine taking 2001, removing the sense of exploration and growth of the human race, and adding a hackneyed love story. This is not a bad movie, but I don't think it added anything new to the history of cinema. I give it 2 out of 6.

The effects were flawless. Most were the surface effects of Solaris itself, but the outer shots of the ship, the airlock, and some other effects were there too. Soderbergh also has the sense to use effects only when they fit into the story. Unfortunately, there were no effects we haven't seen somewhere before. I give it 5 out of 6.

The story is more about interactions than plot. There are puzzles to solve, and numerous uses of imagery to draw parallels, but the plot is not complicated. (I would like to read the book to see if that is where this comes from. The only Lem I've read so far is The Futurological Congress, which I cannot recommend enough, especially for a marathon read.) I give the story 4 out of 6.

The acting from most of the cast, is decent, but not great. In what may be one of the homages to 2001, the characters are often cold and emotionless. Jeremy Davies is the exception, and is truly excellent in his role. (He was great in Million Dollar Hotel, too.) I give the acting 4 out of 6.

The emotional response this produced was sparse. We never really have any reasons to like or care about these characters before they are placed in mortal jeopardy. The first act that produced a strong response was the final one, which was just too little too late. I give it 3 out of 6.

The production was exceptional, especially when viewed as a tribute to 2001. There are some images that are unquestionably designed to remind people of Kubrick's film. The direction is as excellent as it usually is from Steven Soderbergh. The music was used sparingly and effectively. I give it 5 out of 6.

Overall, this will probably be enjoyed by those that enjoyed 2001, such as myself. The rest of the population, like the four people I saw it with, will probably hate it. This review is about my opinions, though, so I'll give it 4 out of 6. I'm happy I watched it, but I wouldn't buy it.

In total, Solaris received 27 out of 42.