Solaris (2002)

Soderbergh directs a large-scale studio project with unusual intimacy and restraint, translating Lem's book into a tender, quietly emotional experience with strong philosophical underpinnings. The film comments brilliantly on the slippery nature of memory.

Soderbergh's remake surpasses Tarkovsky's version with greater philosophical rigor and emotional force. It stands as the most stylish and cerebrally sophisticated sci-fi film in years, thanks to intelligent direction and strong performances from Clooney and McElhone.

The remake reinforces Soderbergh as a gifted chameleon capable of sophisticated, challenging filmmaking that is elliptical and elusive, with beautifully shot visuals and a haunting mood. It singles out the lack of emotional heft and difficulty in making the core story personally involving as the main shortcoming.

Soderbergh takes Full Frontal into the stratosphere with this prolonged grief-counseling session with a minimalist sci-fi backdrop. Solaris is burdened by an overly facile Psych 101 discourse that’s every bit as heavy and pretentious as his purposefully inscrutable Full Frontal.

The film is curiously lacking in emotion despite its focus on the human heart, remaining cold and intellectually severe. Strong performances from Clooney and McElhone cannot overcome its austere, hermetically sealed tone.

The film is a measured, meditative psychodrama that examines philosophical questions about life, love and grief through a minimalist sci-fi setting. It offers rich rewards for viewers who appreciate its slow, thoughtful pace and strong performances from Clooney and McElhone.

Soderbergh successfully reworks the Tarkovsky classic (and Lem novel) as a shorter, more efficient film that maintains the original's undramatic pace while adding emotional depth through the central relationship. The critic praises the audacious and stylish approach, strong casting of Clooney and McElhone, and overall achievement that stands on its own merits.

Soderbergh has made an even more elliptical and immaculate version of the Tarkovsky classic, too cool and understated for populist emotion. Viewers will remember the dislocated, dreamy editing and cinematography rather than the characters.

The film attempts to fuse Kubrickian skepticism with romantic elements from Titanic but the balancing act doesn't quite come off, resulting in a chill that dampens emotional heat. It singles out the ethereally melancholy score by Cliff Martinez for accentuating the overall tone.

The film is a ponderous, overly contemplative sci-fi story focused on human emotions and guilt rather than action or spectacle. It remains aloof from the characters, with little chemistry and a hollow feel despite its stylish presentation, making it one for the patient viewer.

The critic finds the film unlikely to appeal to many viewers, with Clooney fans, sci-fi enthusiasts, and romance fans all likely to be disappointed. They single out the lack of chemistry between the leads and the low-key, irritating variation on the original's twist ending for complaint.