Solaris

Name: Solaris
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Released: November 27, 2002
Duration: 99 min
Rating: 67
Cast: George Clooney, Natascha McElhone, Ulrich Tukur

2002

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 38 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 144 Ratings

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6.7

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6.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 144 Ratings

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Solaris

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Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: November 27, 2002 | R

Starring: George Clooney, Natascha McElhone, Ulrich Tukur

Summary: A story of love, redemption, second chances and a space mission gone terribly wrong. (20th Century Fox)

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Drama, Mystery, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 99 min

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Critic Reviews

100

J. Hoberman

Solaris achieves an almost perfect balance of poetry and pulp. This is as elegant, moody, intelligent, sensuous, and sustained a studio movie as we are likely to see this season -- and in its intrinsic nuttiness, perhaps the least compromised. Read full review

Dallas Observer Luke Y. Thompson

For all its flaws, though, Solaris is a good try, and a definite improvement over the dull remakes Soderbergh has been sleepwalking through lately. Read full review

William Arnold

Philip Messina's claustrophobic sets and Cliff Martinez's elegantly creepy score add to the film's distinction and work off Clooney's performance and Soderbergh's staging to create an hypnotic spell and suggest a cosmos full of spiritual possibility. Read full review

Jonathan Foreman

So beautifully made (everything in it is understated except the gorgeous good looks of its stars) and turns out to have such real cumulative power that it is worth holding out to the end. Read full review

John Powers

While I could tell the love story was supposed to be moving, I kept feeling the characters' passion struggling against the virtuosity of Soderbergh's direction, which is so tight, so gorgeously lit, so worked that even when he wants scenes to be emotionally incandescent, they wind up detached, even chilly. Read full review

Desson Thomson

Even by the art film standards it apes, Solaris lacks conviction. And although it's meant to be restrained and free of emotional hysteria, the result is a movie that pretty much lies dead on the screen for an hour and a half. Read full review

Mick LaSalle

A ponderous and dreadful film. Read full review

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User Reviews

dpod

Feb 3, 2011

Mindblowing emotionally, and stunningly beautiful. This is a really slow movie but if you can just sit back and let the fantastic soundtrack, spectacular visuals and emotion twisting plot slowly wash over you, then this will become your new favourite movie.

5 of 7 users found this helpful52

Chickenph

Nov 3, 2014

One of my favorite movies. It jumps between genres, which I think throws people off. Seems like it's going to be a scary movie, but turns into a thoughtful movie about love and loss.
I really don't know why it reviews so poorly, but you should give it a chance.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

Spangle

Aug 20, 2014

Just wow. On pretty much every front, Solaris is an exceptional film. George Clooney is marvelous here. My main criticism with him, as much as I do like him, is that he frequently seems to just play himself in many films. Here, however, he does anything but. Steven Soderbergh's direction isJust wow. On pretty much every front, Solaris is an exceptional film. George Clooney is marvelous here. My main criticism with him, as much as I do like him, is that he frequently seems to just play himself in many films. Here, however, he does anything but. Steven Soderbergh's direction is great and the visual effects here of space and of the planet Solaris are breathtakingly gorgeous and really something to marvel at. In that way and in terms of what it all means, reminds me a lot of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Very ambigious, confusing, slow, and beautiful, Solaris is really quite brilliant, though a tough nut to crack. Personally, I am still racking my brain over what everything in this one meant and trying to figure out what I am supposed to take away. Ultimately, however, I think this is an orange you can peel in many different ways, which makes it all the more intriguing. Personally, I think there are many plausible explanations, whether they be on reality (what is truly real?), love (and its everlasting nature), and death (where will we reunite, if we ever do? letting go or can you truly ever let go?). It raises many interesting questions and it may not have all the answers and is most certainly very flawed at times and leaves many unanswerable questions (unless "I don't know" is an answer). However, in spite of that, I adored this one. I love films with ambiguity and ones that raise many questions that make it fun to discuss and this is a classic example of that. Now, I would never recommend it to anyone, because if I did, odds are they would come back and call me an idiot since this one is an acquired taste, but I loved it all the same.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

DawdlingPoet

Nov 26, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is quite a curious film. I say that as it has a definite mysterious feel to it from the outset, with the viewer not getting much in the way of insight into whats going on but the more we see, the more intriguing and complicated things may appear. George Clooney does well in his role as a psychologist and I thought it was quite atmospheric, with a real looming sense/feel to it and believable people acting erratically while on board the isolated research station in space. Its a bit of a slow burner of a film but its certainly not a bad one. I liked that the background music/sound effects weren't too loud and 'in your face' and I thought the dialogue was quite good at times, although it can't be said that there's constant dialogue as some times scenes pass without long and convoluted discussions. One thing I found a little frustrating was that in some scenes, the dialogue was quite quiet, with characters talking in hushed tones - this may be an issue for people who are hard of hearing. This film has a somewhat philosophical side to it, which I quite liked. The focus on a lack of memory intrigued me. Also, some scenes feature relatively shaky/jerky camerawork, which might frustrate some viewers.

This is definitely more of an arty/'deep' philosophical film than anything else and so it may seem a bit pretentious to some but in any case, overall; yes, I would recommend this film as I personally found myself pretty engrossed in it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

AWESOM-0

Mar 30, 2020

It is based on an old sci-fi novel so take into consideration the science part of it will be kind of dated. I like slow suspenseful movies much more than non stop action but still this just didn’t do it for me. Not awful but not entertaining or thought provoking enough.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SpikeDaCruz

Mar 10, 2016

I liked the premise of the movie I really did, however even if I tried to like it, I couldn't pass this type of slow pace with a lot of dull moments, it could be slow, but made differently. There were a lot of questions unanswered. How did the replicas appeared? They dream about them, butI liked the premise of the movie I really did, however even if I tried to like it, I couldn't pass this type of slow pace with a lot of dull moments, it could be slow, but made differently. There were a lot of questions unanswered. How did the replicas appeared? They dream about them, but how do they form exactly? Everything is strange, a team had disappeared but it seemed like they just loose a coin, it didn't look like a problem..."We lost the security patrol team, and now the Dr.Gibarian needs you, Dr.Kelvin." Nice...really nice, a solo man adventurer, with no backup team, cameras to record the events, nothing. People are dying and disappearing and we will send Dr.Kelvin, with nothing to record the events, no one to report to, that's kind out of place.

I don't like ambiguous things, I like movies where all at same level, depending on the universe they are into, are explained.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

AveryO.

Dec 4, 2002

Brainless?

0 of 1 users found this helpful

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46	#46 Most Discussed Movie of 2002
29	#29 Most Shared Movie of 2002