Solaris (2002 film)

Solaris (2002)
Directed by	Steven Soderbergh
Produced by	James Cameron Jon Landau Rae Sanchini
Written by	Stanisław Lem (novel) Steven Soderbergh
Starring	George Clooney Natascha McElhone Viola Davis Jeremy Davies Ulrich Tukur
Music by	Cliff Martinez
Release date(s)	November 29, 2002 U.S. release
Running time	99 min
Language	English
Budget	$47,000,000 (estimated)
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Solaris is a 2002 film directed by Steven Soderbergh, and stars George Clooney. It is based on the science fiction novel by Polish writer Stanisław Lem (which also inspired the critically-acclaimed 1972 Soviet film Solaris, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky).

Plot

Chris (Kris in the original Russian version) Kelvin is played by George Clooney and Rheya (Hari in the Russian version) by Natascha McElhone. Similar to the Tarkovsky film, this version of Solaris is a meditative psychodrama set almost entirely on a space station, adding flashbacks to the previous experiences of its main characters on Earth. A psychologist still dealing with the loss of his wife, Chris Kelvin receives a disturbing video message from a friend and scientist asking for Chris's help and that he come to the enigmatic ocean world, Solaris. Kelvin, arriving at the space station, quickly learns that members of the crew have died (or even disappeared) under mysterious circumstances with the only two surviving members reluctant to explain the cause. After shockingly encountering his wife alive again, Chris discovers that Solaris has been creating physical replications of people familiar to each crew member. Up until the climactic end, Chris struggles with the questions of Solaris's motivation, his beliefs and memories, and reconciling what was lost with an opportunity for a second chance. Solaris borrows visual references from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and The Shining (1980), and from Tarkovsky's Zerkalo (The Mirror).

Critical reception

Director Steven Soderbergh admits (on the DVD commentary track) that marketing was a challenge. The movie's trailer depicted a science fiction love story (or thriller) and may have raised expectations among potential film-goers that were not met, grossing $15 million (against an estimated $40 million budget). [1] The Time Out Film Guide describes this version as superior to the Tarkovsky version. However, the overall critical reception and popular votes do not share this opinion. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 64% fresh approval rating which is a positive score but far from that of the Tarkovsky's adaptation, which earned a 97% rating. The Internet Movie Database user ratings (as of December 2007) for the two versions are 6.2 and 8.1, respectively.

Trivia

• The initial test screening ran 30 minutes longer, but was cut down due to negative studio feedback. Soderbergh has hinted that an Extended Edition might be released someday, depending on interest.
• James Cameron initially considered writing and directing but instead produced.
• Daniel Day-Lewis was asked to star but turned the role down.
• The film was selected to be "launched into space" in 2003 by Team Encounter.

External links

• Solaris (2002) official site
• Solaris (2002) at the Internet Movie Database
• Solaris (2002) at Rotten Tomatoes
• In-depth analysis of the film at the Galilean Library
• Lem's comment on the 2002 version
• Rick Sternbach's graphic designs for Solaris
• Time Out Film Review of Solaris
• Comparative review of Solaris book and two films in The Future Fire 2
• Roger Ebert's review