Solaris

Something strange is happening onboard the space station orbiting the planet Solaris. After receiving a message requesting that psychologist Chris Kelvin (Clooney) is sent to the station, all communication is lost and the security team sent to assess the situation has disappeared. When Kelvin arrives, he finds two crewmen dead and the remaining two suffering from hallucinations and paranoia. After only one day in orbit, Kelvin starts displaying the same symptoms, as he is seeing his wife Rheya (McElhone), who has been dead for two years.

A collaboration between Steven Soderbergh and James Cameron should get any film fan salivating at the mouth and when you find out they have come together to make a science fiction movie, you should be jumping for joy. But as with the film, everything is not what you might be expecting.

Those of you anticipating an action based Sci-Fi romp, Aliens/Terminator style will be disappointed but fans expecting a thought provoking look at the human character with a science fiction twist will be very happy indeed. This is intelligent Sci-Fi that asks questions about the human condition and how it copes with loss, grief and guilt.

Based on the novel by Stanislaw Lem, Soderbergh has created a slow moving character study about how we cope with death and the questions that it conjures up. What happens when we die, what role does religion have in the modern or future world and why are we here, are all subjects that this movie contends with and it is the planet Solaris itself that wants these questions answered. The planet in fact looks like brain surrounded by nebular-like mist, with synaptic pulses flashing across its surface and it acts like a psychologist manipulating its test subjects to further its studies.

George Clooney brings a tender and needing side to his role, something that his has never really done before on film. The character is an emotional wreck, struggling to come to terms with his life after the tragedy that has struck it. Clooney portrays this marvellously, showing the range that fans of the TV show ER will know all to well that he is capable of. There is good support from the very underrated Natascha McElhone and a quite creepy Jeremy Davies.

The overall look and feel of the movie is superb. From the brilliantly designed sets, the outstanding special effects (especially on the afore mentioned planet) and Soderbergh's immaculate attention to detail, Solaris is a visual treat.

This is not the all out Sci-Fi experience that some people might have imagined. It is a very slow moving look at grief and loss that might not appeal to everyone but those of you who go into the movie with an open mind, you will get a lot more out of it than you were expecting.

Audio commentary from director Steven Soderbergh and producer James Cameron, HBO 'Behind The Scenes' special programme, 'Solaris - Behind The Planet' featurette, Script, Interactive menu & Scene access

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2003