Review of Solaris (2002) by Jana C — 05 Feb 2010

Steven Soderbergh's Solaris is a somewhat difficult film to get into... It took me 2.5 viewings before I loved it, but now, boy, do I love it! The first time I saw it was back when it first came out on DVD.

I thought it was slow and pointless and unemotional. I recently re-watched it and thought that the first half was amazing and the second half was absolute garbage. I then re-watched the second half and finally understood why it was a masterpiece and why the ending is absolute perfection, even if it's very hard to piece together exactly what's happening at first.

The relationship between the doctor (a top-of-his-game George Clooney) and his dead wife (Natasha McElhone -- the weakest performer in the film) is actually not as compelling as I would have liked or would have expected, but they are not the real core interest of the film anyway.

The real character of interest is Solaris, the strange planet that has caused inexplicable things to "happen" to crew members aboard the spaceship that orbits it. Solaris is a fascinating character, a complex god, a demon, a simultaneously benevolent and malevolent force with possessive intentions.

It can't be fully rationalized because we aren't meant to understand it's scope of power or its ultimate goals, but it's always there; always lurking in the minds of our human protagonists, always making something "happen.

" Solaris is an absolutely stunning film, beautifully shot with an exceptional score and a haunting tone. It took me 2.5 times to appreciate it, but now that I do, I'm sure Solaris will draw me in for more.