There Are Some Places Man Is Not Ready To Go
My Netflix started up this week and I've been on a steady diet of good DVD's. Wanted to give out an honorable mention to a movie that I think went undeservedly overlooked. "Solaris" was directed by Stephen Soderberg who really has been one of the most unpredictable directors of our time. It was the remake of a film based on a book by science fiction writer Stanislaw Lem. When it came out in '02, it didn't do any business, and I didn't see it until it came out on DVD. Saw it again the other night. If you haven't seen it, check it out, I recommend it. It's not a standard science fiction film. You'll get no battles, or struggles between good and evil, just a really absorbing metaphysical drama. Probably bugged people there were no explosions. It's a very quiet, heavy movie that centers around a space station orbiting a moon that seems to have some kind of intelligence and ability to bring back ghosts of people's pasts. George Clooney plays Chris Kelvin, who is brought to the space station to try to figure out what is happening out there and ends up being haunted by the ghost of his dead wife, Rheya.
I really appreciated how this movie jumped from plot point to plot point really quickly and didn't seem to waste time building up tension and manipulating the audience. The direction was reminiscent of Kubrick's 2001, and really well done. The music was an almost subliminal texture of steel drum-type sounds, and helped build the film's moody atmosphere of isolation.
Comments
I think it bombed here too. I'm thinking maybe I should watch it now, on your reccy. Thing is, I've never been much of a Clooney fan...
(Maybe i'll ask the film buff of a s/o and see.)
Aliens was on normal TV over here last night. I hadn't seen it for ages, and I jumped at ALL the bits I knew were going to make me jump still managed to!
Sometimes I wish I was more eloquent...
Have a good day
RP
x
Posted by: RecklessPrincess | August 8, 2005 07:10 AM
I really enjoyed Solaris too. I watched it a few years ago and wondered why it never really did well, it has a great(if somewhat unorthodox) story and George Clooney was a big name draw when it came out. So it's always puzzled me.
I hope you're enjoying your new digs as much as your posts suggest.
Posted by: Aaron | August 8, 2005 08:00 AM
Any Japanese-language films at NetFlix? Couldn't search in detail without signing up as a trial user.
Posted by: Mike | August 8, 2005 09:23 AM
how u doing steve, sooo sorry to hear about u & Riss, hope everything pans out for you. Sorry I haven't posted in ages, but the wife has had me up to my ears in D.I.Y(New bathroom, attic conversion and stuff). Anyway, if you have some time about you and are looking to check out a movie, although it may not be available in your country, try to get hold of a movie called"DEAD MANS SHOES". Its a low budget brit-flick on Handmade films(The guys who done Monty Python. The plot is a bit tricky, but the twist in the tale rivals the end of "Usual Suspects" really is an awesome/disturbing piece of cinematography. The main villain is played by an ex-brit boxer called Gary Stretch. Anyways, look after yourself.
Be safe, be Happy
Be Fucking Awesome(as you always are)
tonto
Posted by: tonto | August 8, 2005 01:30 PM
Hey Steve,
Have you read a book by the name of The Zen Of Oz?
Posted by: Diane/FRI13th | August 8, 2005 07:11 PM
I definitely got the 2001 connection with this one. Being a huge fan of Kubrick, I thought 2001 was a masterpiece. These days, seems as though people just want action, etc. They don't want mental stimulation or deep thinking. Solaris kept me on edge. Good flick.
Posted by: Jonathan | August 8, 2005 07:53 PM
If you liked Soderberg's version of Solaris you might also enjoy the original production, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky (1972). T. is much truer to Lem’s novel and explores the other characters a bit more. The power of the planet to tap into our Freudian desires and make them concrete is developed much more in the Russian version. Really makes you ask yourself, “If I were on the planet, who would materialize?” As you see with the other characters, the person who pops into existence represents a tangled mess of desire, regret, longing, shame, etc. Tarkovsky is an amazing, hypnotic director with the eye of a painter. That said, he’s high maintenance, like Bergman. His films require patience and make you work but they reward with a very subtle, visual and conceptual feast. Definitely not a light flick but you might like it, if you’re in the right mood. Netflix carries it….
Posted by: Maureen | August 27, 2005 09:37 PM