Stars: George Clooney, Natascha McElhone, Viola Davis, Jeremy Davies, Ulrich Tukur

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Summary: Psychologist, Chris Kelvin, mourning the loss of his beloved wife, is instructed to travel to a distant space station in order to treat a group of traumatised astronauts...

Steven Soderbergh (OCEAN'S ELEVEN, TRAFFIC) delivers yet another inspired remake with this pensive sci-fi drama based on the book by Stanislaw Lem. Taking his cue from Russian master Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 epic of the same name, Soderbergh boldly chooses atmosphere over action, crafting a profoundly meditative work that will challenge audiences for many years to come. George Clooney plays Chris Kelvin, a therapist who is sent to a space station near the planet of Solaris in order to investigate a series of mysterious happenings. When he arrives, he finds only two surviving crew members, the hyper-strange Snow (Jeremy Davies) and ultra-paranoid Gordon (Viola Davis). Unable to make sense of their fear and confusion, Chris soon discovers the reason for their anxiety. In a seemingly implausible turn of events caused by Solaris's bizarre energy levels, Chris's deceased wife Rhea (Natascha McElhone) reappears. Fully aware that Rhea is only a figment of his memory, Chris is nonetheless unable to dismiss her due to the tragic events surrounding her death. He must somehow find a way to bid farewell to Rhea once and for all without collapsing under the weight of his own guilty conscience. Soderbergh's dream of a motion picture successfully balances philosophy with romance, telling a familiar tale of love and loss in a strikingly original way.

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Released in 1972, Solarisis Andrei Tarkovsky's third feature and his most far-reaching examination of human perceptions and failings. It's often compared to Kubrick's 2001, but although both bring a metaphysical dimension to bear on space exploration, Solarishas a claustrophobic intensity which grips the attention over spans of typically Tarkovskian stasis. Donatas Banionis is sympathetic as the cosmonaut sent to investigate disappearances on the space station orbiting the planet Solaris, only to be confronted by his past in the guise of his dead wife, magnetically portrayed by Natalya Bondarchuk. The ending is either a revelation or a conceit, depending on your viewpoint.

On the DVD:Solarisreproduces impressively on DVD in widescreen--which is really essential here--and Eduard Artemiev's ambient score comes over with pristine clarity. There are over-dubs in English and French, plus subtitles in 12 languages. An extensive stills gallery, detailed filmographies for cast and crew, and comprehensive biographies of Tarkovsky and author Stanislaw Lem are valuable extras, as are the interviews with Bondarchuk and Tarkovsky's sister and an amusing 1970s promo-film for Banionis. It would have been better had the film been presented complete on one disc, instead of stretched over two. Even so, the overall package does justice to a powerful and disturbing masterpiece. --Richard Whitehouse

Aspect Ratio:	16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Audio Commentary - 1. Steven Soderbergh - Director, Behind the Scenes Footage, Script
Year:	2002
Release Date:	July 21, 2003
Runtime:	94 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	24283 D V D
Keywords:	General, Wide, Screen, Fiction, Science, Solaris, Horror, Sci, Fi
Genre:	Science Fiction