Movie Review

Solaris

If anyone has ever sat through a Philosophy class, they know that it is one of the dullest and most tiring things to ever have to sit through.

Solaris is much like a Philosophy class; it's slow moving and filled with so many scattered ideas that it would take months to sort through it all. But in those rare instances, it also touches on one of those topics that is impossible to shake away.

The best thing that can be said for Solaris is that it is thought provoking. It gets you started on subjects of humanity, death, and what would happen if a second chance was granted to someone you love after death. Would you consider it a gift or a burden of guilt? If you love the physical person, would it matter if she wasn't exactly human?

Solaris asks these questions and many more, but what is ultimately unsatisfying about it is that it leaves these questions open. While it still leaves you engaged, you wish it made more of an effort to answer them in order to increase the emotional intensity of the story. But as it is, this is an interesting and moving romantic drama that is very well performed.

George Clooney leads the way as Chris Kelvin, a psychiatrist who walks through his life helping other people cope with loss but who lives his own sad existence dealing with the same subject. He is contacted by a space station near the planet Solaris, which asks for his help. Apparently the crew of Solaris is going insane from some unknown force, possibly coming from the planet itself. Only what's odd is that the crew can leave whenever they want, but for some reason they don't want to. Kelvin takes the trip to the space station only to find that much of the crew is dead, most by committing suicide. The only two crew members left are Snow (Jeremy Davies) and Gordon (Viola Davis), both looking as if they've seen a ghost. It doesn't take long before Kelvin is seeing them as well.

He awakes one night to see his wife, Rhea (Natasha McElhone), sleeping right next to him. Only the problem is that she killed herself many years ago. Director Steven Soderbergh goes into flashbacks, showing us how they met and instantly fell in love. These flashbacks contain romantic flare not seen in most films. They're sexy and elegant, and the musical score entrances you in their relationship.

Only there will be a break-up here, which will result in Rhea's suicide. This inspires much of Chris' sadness and guilt, and so when he sees her again he is confused, but also immensely happy. He sees her as the woman he fell in love with, while the rest of the crew just sees her as a possibly lethal clone of her former self.

The performances really make you forget the film's flaws. As Chris Kelvin, Clooney gets his best role to date. He does a perfect job of showcasing the sadness and guilt that now powers Kelvin's decision making. McElhone does a compelling job as well, showing her character's confusion at all of the old memories that begin to swell up in her head again and is also a very appealing romantic lead. Viola Davis does the film's most powerful work as a woman emotionally abused by the ship's doings, and Jeremy Davies' quirky movements inspire some comic relief.

It is very hard to formulate a consistent response to this film, but what can't be denied is that it does make you think and that it does offer a very compelling romantic drama. The performances are the biggest reason for that. If you go in expecting a drama, you should be pleasantly surprised by Solaris.

Craig's Grade: B+

A	10.9%
B	41.8%
C	31.8%
D	15.3%
F	0.3%