“There are no answers, only choices.” —Gibarian
Today’s quick review: Solaris. At the request of a friend, psychologist Chris Kelvin (George Clooney) travels to a space station orbiting Solaris, an enigmatic celestial body, to investigate the strange phenomena its crew members (Viola Davis and Jeremy Davies) are experiencing. Soon after he arrives, Kelvin begins to experience inexplicable visits from his wife Rheya (Natascha McElhone), seemingly pulled from his memories by Solaris itself.
Solaris is a minimalistic science fiction drama with aspects of mystery, tragedy, and romance. Solaris is based on the science fiction novel of the same name by Stanislaw Lem, adapted for the screen by writer and director Steven Soderbergh. George Clooney stars as Dr. Chris Kelvin, a psychologist who’s forced to confront his troubled past when he encounters a perfect copy of his wife aboard a distant space station.
Solaris wraps its abstract philosophical themes around a taut personal drama. Rheya’s mere existence raises questions Kelvin cannot answer, while her presence dredges up memories of their tumultuous relationship. Neither Chris nor Rheya is particularly likable, but both of them are complex characters with hidden depths. Their shared history is doled out carefully over the course of the film, with plenty of unspoken details for the viewer to fill in.
However, Solaris is held back by its static plot. Once the question of Rheya’s humanity has been posed, there’s not much that can be done about it. The space station is less a setting than a stage for its inhabitants to act out their psychoses, and nearly all of the conflict is psychological. Solaris sets up interesting questions but has no way to answer them. The film can be striking and haunting, but its story feels only half-told.
Watch Solaris if you’re a fan of abstract, psychological science fiction. Solaris poses a number of interesting questions about humanity, reality, memory, and finding meaning in life, but it struggles to tie them to a story capable of moving forward under its own power. Solaris will appeal to a very specific type of science fiction fan who’s intrigued by such questions, but most other viewers will not find what they’re looking for.
For mind-bending science fiction in the same vein, check out Moon, Interstellar, or Inception. For a sci-fi horror movie with a similarly bizarre, personal mystery, try Annihilation. For a psychological thriller with similar themes and a more elaborate plot, check out Shutter Island. For a fantasy romance with a similarly abstract story and a hopeful tone, try The Fountain. For a minimalistic space thriller with George Clooney, try Gravity.
6.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a striking mystery that never quite comes together.