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Solaris
2002 99 min United States of America PG-13 12+
★6.3
Drama, Science Fiction, Mystery
Director: Steven Soderbergh
🎭 Based on
«Solaris»
byStanisław Lem
Trailers
EN
EN
EN
Description
A troubled psychologist is sent to investigate the crew of an isolated research station orbiting a bizarre planet.
Budget:
$47M
US Gross:
$14.97M
Worldwide:
$30M
Starring
George Clooney
Actor
Natascha McElhone
Actor
Ulrich Tukur
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 2003
— Best Actor
Saturn Awards 2003
— Best Actress
Berlin International Film Festival 2003
— Golden Bear
Saturn Awards 2003
— Best Science Fiction Film
Key opinion
Soderbergh’s Solaris is a visually and aurally hypnotic meditation on grief and memory that polarizes audiences through its transformation of Stanislaw Lem’s philosophical sci-fi into an intimate, character-driven melodrama. While supporters praise its emotional resonance and atmospheric score, detractors argue it fails to grasp the novel’s core themes regarding the unknowability of alien life.
| Score | Cliff Martinez’s hypnotic and immersive score serves as a vital, foundational element that elevates the film’s atmospheric depth. | |
| Theme | The film succeeds as a visually striking and poetic exploration of love, loss, and the human psyche, effectively utilizing a contemplative, dreamlike tone. | |
| Acting | The performance of George Clooney is viewed by many as a powerful, emotionally layered portrayal of mourning, though a minority of critics find his presence miscast or blank. | |
| Adaptation | The adaptation is highly divisive: proponents appreciate the director’s interpretive freedom and focus on emotional connection, while critics condemn it for stripping away the novel's philosophical focus on the truly alien to create a simplified, melodramatic romance. | |
| Ending | The film's ending creates a significant split in audience reception, with some finding it a brilliant, open-ended invitation for subjective interpretation and others viewing it as confusing or narratively insufficient. |