NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Solaris (2002 film)

Solaris (2002)

Directed by

Steven Soderbergh

Produced by

James Cameron
Jon Landau
Rae Sanchini

Written by

Stanisław Lem (novel)
Steven Soderbergh

Starring

George Clooney
Natascha McElhone
Viola Davis
Jeremy Davies
Ulrich Tukur

Music by

Cliff Martinez

Release date(s)

November 29, 2002 U.S. release

Running time

99 min

Language

English

Budget

$47,000,000 (estimated)

All Movie Guide profile

IMDb profile

Plot

Chris (Kris in the original Russian version) Kelvin is played by George Clooney and Rheya (Hari in the Russian version) by Natascha McElhone. Similar to the Tarkovsky film, this version of Solaris is a meditative psychodrama set almost entirely on a space station, adding flashbacks to the previous experiences of its main characters on Earth. George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter who gained fame as one of the lead doctors in the long-running television drama, ER (1994â€“99), as Anthony Edwardss best friend and partner, Dr. Douglas Doug Ross, but is best known for... Natascha McElhone (born Natascha Taylor, December 14, 1971 in Hampstead, London, England) is a British television and movie actress, best known for her roles in Solaris and as Lady Mary Boleyn in the original adaptation of the controversial novel The Other Boleyn Girl. ... Psychodrama is a method of psychotherapy which explores, through action, the problems of people. ... The International Space Station in 2007 A space station is an artificial structure designed for humans to live in outer space. ...

A psychologist still dealing with the loss of his wife, Chris Kelvin receives a disturbing video message from a friend and scientist asking for Chris's help and that he come to the enigmatic ocean world, Solaris. Kelvin, arriving at the space station, quickly learns that members of the crew have died (or even disappeared) under mysterious circumstances with the only two surviving members reluctant to explain the cause. After shockingly encountering his wife alive again, Chris discovers that Solaris has been creating physical replications of people familiar to each crew member. Up until the climactic end, Chris struggles with the questions of Solaris's motivation, his beliefs and memories, and reconciling what was lost with an opportunity for a second chance.

Solaris borrows visual references from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and The Shining (1980), and from Tarkovsky's Zerkalo (The Mirror). Kubrick redirects here. ... For other uses of this term, see Shining. ... The Mirror, also known as Mirror or Zerkalo (Russian: Ð—ÐµÑ€ÐºÐ°Ð»Ð¾), is a 1975 Mosfilms movie by Andrei Tarkovsky, which has spawned a cult following among Soviet intellectuals. ...

Critical reception

Director Steven Soderbergh admits (on the DVD commentary track) that marketing was a challenge. The movie's trailer depicted a science fiction love story (or thriller) and may have raised expectations among potential film-goers that were not met, grossing $15 million (against an estimated $40 million budget). [1] Movie trailers are film advertisements for films that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema, on whose screen they are shown; they are commonly known as previews of coming attractions. ...

In spite of this, the Time Out Film Guide describes this version as superior to the Tarkovsky version. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 64% fresh approval rating which is a positive score but not as positive as the first, which earned a 97% fresh approval rating. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Trivia

The initial test screening ran 30 minutes longer, but was cut down due to negative studio feedback. Soderbergh has hinted that an Extended Edition might be released someday, depending on interest.

James Cameron initially considered writing and directing but instead produced.

Daniel Day-Lewis was asked to star but turned the role down.

The film was selected to be "launched into space" in 2003 by Team Encounter.

For other persons named James Cameron, see James Cameron (disambiguation). ... Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis (born 29 April 1957) is an Academy-Award winning and Golden Globe-award nominated actor. ...

External links

v • d • e

Films by Steven Soderbergh

sex, lies, and videotape (1989) • Kafka (1991) • King of the Hill (1993) • Underneath (1995) • Gray's Anatomy (1996) • Schizopolis (1996) • Out of Sight (1998) • The Limey (1999) • Erin Brockovich (2000) • Traffic (2000) • Ocean's Eleven (2001) • Full Frontal (2002) • Solaris (2002) • Eros (Equilibrium) (2004) • Ocean's Twelve (2004) • Bubble (2006) • The Good German (2006) • Ocean's Thirteen (2007) • Guerrilla (2008) The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Future Fire is a small press, online science fiction magazine (ISSN: 1746-1839), run by a joint British-US team of editors. ... Steven Andrew Soderbergh (born January 14, 1963 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, and Oscar-winning director. ... . The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions. ... Kafka is a film based on the life of writer Franz Kafka. ... King of the Hill was a 1993 film, Steven Soderberghs third feature film, and the second he directed from his own screenplay following his 1989 Palme dOr-winning effort sex, lies, and videotape. ... Underneath is a 1995 film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Peter Gallagher, based on the novel Criss Cross by Don Tracy. ... Grays Anatomy is an 80-minute movie directed by Steven Soderbergh in 1996 involving a dramatized monologue by actor/writer Spalding Gray. ... Schizopolis is an experimental comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh in 1996. ... Out of Sight is a 1998 movie directed by Steven Soderbergh. ... The Limey is a revenge neo-noir crime drama, directed by Steven Soderbergh The film starring Terence Stamp as Wilson, an Englishman straight out of prison and on parole who comes to Los Angeles, California to investigate the suspicious death of his daughter. ... Erin Brockovich is a 2000 movie which dramatizes the story of Erin Brockovichs first fight against the West Coast energy giant PG&E. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and featured superstar Julia Roberts in the lead role for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. ... Traffic is an award-winning 2000 crime/drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh. ... Oceans Eleven is a 2001 remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film Oceans Eleven. ... Full Frontal is a film by Steven Soderbergh, about a day in the life of people in Hollywood. ... Eros film poster Eros is a 2004 film consisting of three short films: Wong Kar-wais The Hand, Steven Soderberghs Equilibrium and Michelangelo Antonionis The Dangerous Thread of Things. ... Oceans Twelve is a 2004 film that takes place after the events of the 2001 movie Oceans Eleven. ... Bubble is a movie directed by Steven Soderbergh. ... The Good German is a 2006 feature film adaptation of a novel by Joseph Kanon. ... Oceans Thirteen is a 2007 film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring an ensemble cast. ... Guerrilla is a film about Argentinean-born doctor and revolutionary leader Ernesto Che Guevara (1928-1967), most famous for leading Fidel Castros forces against Batista. ...

Contents

Critical reception

Trivia

External links