Hey folks, Harry here... Now you've seen my thoughts on SOLARIS (Click Here To Read Harry's Review), but what about an intelligent beautiful woman's thoughts on this alleged romantic science fiction film from Soderbergh and Clooney? Well... Your wish has come true, here ya go....
Solaris is a beautiful, brilliant film. I love Soderbergh’s eyes. I’ll admit that I’m greedy. There were a few moments during the movie where the very next shot could have been a monster-metamorphosis before terrorized crewmembers, and I might have been happy with that. But, he wasn’t making a sci-fi horror movie. So don’t go in expecting what you’ve been conditioned to expect whenever three or four people are trapped on a space station amidst exceedingly disturbing circumstances, and you won’t be disappointed.
Solaris is a perfect date movie, and I’m not saying that because George Clooney is a beautiful man. Soderbergh explores the concept that perception is reality, and the ramifications that entails.
We are introduced to Dr. Kelvin as a subdued somewhat lonely man. Two strangers show up with a plea for help from his old friend Gibarian (Ulrich Tukur), commander of a space station orbiting the ocean world of Solaris. Gibarian tells him that he would understand what to do, given his knowledge and experiences. Things are desperate.
He arrives to find his friend has apparently committed suicide. The only somewhat coherent crewmember is Snow (Jeremy Davies). The other survivor, Helen Gordon (Viola Davis) has locked herself in a room, and is vehemently suspicious, refusing to talk to Kelvin ‘until it starts happening to him too.’ He soon finds out what she means.
He falls asleep and dreams about his late wife, Rheya (Natascha McElhone). He awakes to find her fingers caressing his shoulder, and is understandably freaked out. She has no memory other than his, which is terrifying to her as a sentient being.
The rest of the movie deals with this moment’s aftermath. We learn more about the turbulent relationship between Kelvin and his wife through their extended reminiscent flashbacks…he quotes Thomas “Though lovers be lost, love is not, and death shall have no dominion” to her…this is a recurring theme.
Jeremy Davies is really endearing as Snow, he’s so charmingly disconnected and rumpled. He seems the most like someone normal caught in some seriously irrational circumstances, just trying to get through them.
Gordon has no misgivings about the appropriate course of action to take. She doesn’t trust anything that she can’t quantify. She refuses to accept fantasy as reality, or fantastic reality as benign. Her solution? Hick’s ‘em. Straightforward and rational to a fault, Gordon wants to go home. Viola Davis plays her smart, sensible and tough.
For Dr. Kelvin, things are not nearly that simple. And maybe some of that has to do with the fact that he’s a psychologist, whereas Gordon is a physicist. He’s more accustomed to dealing with the fluid abstract than she…and he’s got issues that need resolution.
Natascha McElhone as Rheya, is anguished…with good reason. Who would you be, if you were the sum of someone’s memories of you, and no more? What would you do?
I could go on and on about the gorgeous set design, and the breath-taking realization of the ocean world, Solaris…luminous seething fuchsia with arcing streaks of light. But I won’t. See it for yourself, with someone you adore.
Saffron
