Solaris (2002)

Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring George Clooney, Natascha McElhone, Jeremy Davies, Viola Davis, Ulrich Tukur, John Cho. [PG-13]

Writer/director Soderbergh’s reimagining of Andrei Tarkovsky’s somber science fiction opus is allegedly closer in spirit to Stanislaw Lem’s original book, but primarily streamlines the metaphysical narrative and reconciles the emotional and intellectual strains of its immeasurable enigma. Psychologist Clooney, still grieving the suicide of his wife (McElhone), is summoned by Tukur to join him aboard a space station orbiting the mysterious planet Solaris to investigate unexplainable incidents that the crew have been dealing with. Answers are hard to come by once Clooney arrives, but he soon after encounters a manifestation of his late wife, a phenomenon “created” by the uncanny influence of the planet. Slow and cerebral—like its predecessor, but less so—and although the themes explored remain heady, the presentation is more concrete and literal, less ponderous, so it’s a slighter but more accessible film experience. Clooney discards most of his movie star charisma, but never quite disappears into the vessel-like role; the only case of miscasting, however, comes from Davies, whose weird energy and mannered gesticulations are poison to the spell cast by the film’s morose existentialism. Co-produced by James Cameron.

73/100