Solaris on DVD
Occasionally, when Hollywood decides to waste our time with a bad movie, we
can forgive it because, either its supposed to be bad, or it still has
some entertainment value.
Which brings us to Solaris, the least enjoyable movie to come out of Hollywood
in a long time. Its really a shame, because theres so much talent
involved that you go into it with such high standards.
Chris Kelvin is a lonely psychologist who, since the death of his wife, doesnt
seem to have a lot to live for. One day he gets a call from an old
friend (Ulrich Tukur), who asks him to head to a space station near the planet
of Solaris to investigate some eerie happenings. When Chris arrives, he begins
to experience the happenings for himself.
Hes haunted by visions of his wife, who appears too real to be fake,
but who cant possibly be there. He learns that the surviving crew members
have also been haunted by loved ones passed; but rather than try to help them,
he spends all his time being depressed and trying to find a way to get his wife
back home.
To put it most succinctly: this movie sucks. Theres not a single enjoyable
moment, and its possibly the most excruciating 99 minutes weve experienced
in quite some time. The only thing that kept us going was the thought that,
eventually, something had to happen.
But it never did
Steven Soderbergh, who is a talented director (but who doesnt always
make good movies), adds another miss to his hit-and-miss career, while James
Cameron, who has made almost nothing but great movies (Piranha II not included),
was actually willing to have his name attached to this thing. George Clooney
is a good enough actor, as is Natascha McElhone, but the movie is too bad for
them to be able to save it.
Solaris is another example of a good idea gone horribly wrong. As my brother
so appropriately put it, it is like Star Trek mixed with an episode of
The Outer Limits with all the imagination taken away. Indeed, it has potential,
but absolutely nothing of interest is done with the idea. This is a bad movie
that should not be viewed by anyone under any circumstances.
Deservedly so, Solaris was a flop back in December of 2002. Despite this, it
still gets a very good DVD (infinitely better than it deserves). The film is
presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, and the picture is quite impressive.
Details are good, colors are rich, and there is no grain or dust or halo effect.
There are a few fairly dark scenes (though not dark enough!), but its
still easy to tell whats going on (much to our chagrin). The audio isDolby
Digital 5.1 surround, but its pretty much front-restricted. This is a
very quiet movie for the most part, with dialogue, music and sound effects all
fighting for the front channels. Each is audible enough, together or separately,
but sometimes the dialogue is too quiet to hear properly (though Im sure
we didnt miss anything).
The highlight extra is an audio commentary by Soderbergh and Cameron. Both
are intelligent, talented filmmakers with plenty to say, but its hard
to take them seriously when theyre so proud of such a bad movie.
There are also two featurettes, the first being a very standard HBO First Look
special. Its strictly promotional, featuring cast and crew interviews,
and doesnt really tell us much about the making of the movie. The second
featurette is Solaris: Behind the Planet. This one has a little
more making-of stuff, but is not overly engrossing (how much time do we really
want to spend on this movie?). There is also the original screenplay, and the
theatrical teaser and trailer.
If, for some reason, you enjoyed the movie, youll be pleased enough with
the disc.
Solaris, from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
99 minutes, anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) 16X9 enhanced, 5.1 Dolby Digital
Starring George Clooney, Natascha McElhone, Jeremy Davies, Viola Davis
Produced by James Cameron, Rae Sanchini, Jon Landau
Written for the screen and directed by Steven Soderbergh
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