Solaris

Saw the movie Solaris last weekend. This sci-fi movie is a remake of the 1972 classic of the same name (I haven’t seen that version). Both are based on the sci-fi novel of the same name written by Stanislaw Lem. The movie is set in the future where Kelvin (George Clooney) is a psychologist who has lost his wife he loved very much. He is called upon to investigate some strange things happening on a space station rotating around a star named Solaris. Once he lands on it, he discovers that most of the crew have killed each other or themselves. Only 2 of them are left. One of them Dr. Gordon is trying to find the cause of the strange visitors on this space station. Kelvin soon gets his own visitor — his deceased wife appears in flesh and blood. And he falls in love with her all over again. Why/how is Solaris creating these visitors from the memories in human minds? Who really are these visitors?

Solaris is a thoughtful movie. Visually it is very similar to 2001: A Space Odyssey. There are stretches of silence, the visuals are exquisite and the background music is haunting at times. The movie questions human relationships and the existence of divine beings. Strangely this topic fits snugly into the sci-fi environment of Solaris. Remember the interpretation-left-to-viewer ending of 2001? Something like that except that it is easy to figure it in this movie.

I liked the movie. Some of the flashback scenes (in the rain, shopping etc.) of Kelvin and his wife are very romantic and sensual though they are set in such sterile surroundings. Clooney is simply fabulous as the cool headed psychologist. There are nice little twists at the end.