If anyone
has sat through a Philosophy class, they know it is one of the
dullest and tiring things to ever sit through. Solaris is
much like Philosophy class; it's slow moving and filled with
scattered ideas that it takes months to sort through them all.
Yet, it also touches on topics that are impossible to shake.
It’s thought provoking, and got me started thinking on humanity,
death and second chances. If you love the physical person, would
it matter if they weren’t the same in re-birth as they were in
life?
Solaris
asks these questions and more, but ultimately leaves them open
and unanswered. I was engaged, but couldn’t stop wishing it made
more of an effort to answer them to increase the emotional
intensity of the story. But as it is Solaris is an
interesting and moving romantic drama, and it is also 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 living his own existence dealing
with the suicide of his wife. Contacted by a space station near
the planet Solaris seeking his help, Chris takes the trip only
to find much of the crew dead, most committing suicide. The only
two crewmembers left are Snow (Jeremy Davies) and Gordon (Viola
Davis), both acting as if they've been seeing ghosts. Soon,
Kelvin is seeing them as well, awaking one night to his dead
wife Rhea (Natasha McElhone) sleeping next to him.
Director Steven Soderbergh uses
flashbacks to show how they met and instantly fell in love.
These flashbacks contain a romantic flare not seen in most
films. They're sexy and elegant, and the musical score
entrances. But there is a break-up resulting in Rhea's suicide,
inspiring much of Chris' sadness and guilt. So when he sees her
again he is understandably confused, but he’s also immensely
happy. Chris views Rhea as the same woman he fell in love with,
while the rest of the crew just sees her as possibly lethal.
The
performances really cover the film's flaws. Clooney gets his
best role to date and does a perfect job of showcasing the
sadness and guilt powering Chris' decision making. McElhone is
compelling as well, good at showing Rhea’s confusion from all of
the old memories that begin to swell in her head. She’s also a
very appealing romantic lead. Davis has Solaris’ most
powerful moments playing a woman emotionally abused by the
station’s doings, and Davies' quirky movements inspire much of
the movie’s comic relief.
It is hard
to formulate a consistent response to Solaris. What can't
be denied is that it makes you think and it offers a compelling
romantic drama with solidly wonderful performances. This is not
a sci-fi film for the Star Warsset, but if you go in
expecting an intelligent drama you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
