a belated weekend movie update

I am waiting on an incredibly long process to finish so that I can make sure it works, so to pass the time I'll write about the two movies my wife and I saw over the weekend.

Saturday night, to relax after a particularly busy week of studying and work, we watched Solaris. There were many things I appreciated about this movie. Chiefly, Solaris, as good science fiction should be, wasn't really concerned as much about the trappings of the latest and greatest technological accomplishments. The film was about the characters and their struggles to understand love, failure, and mortality, while using the different setting allowed by the genre of sci-fi to illuminate aspects that might not be seen in a normal setting.

Towards that end, the movie succeeded remarkably. George Clooney as Chris Kelvin and the underrated Natascha McElhone (see Ronin) as Rheya both portrayed the struggles and failings of their characters in a powerfully sympathetic way. And Steven Soderbergh gave the movie almost a darkly contemplative feel, what might even be "boring" to someone raised on MTV, that successfully highlighted the tension and difficulties the characters faced.

At the end, though, I thought the movie fell a little flat. After portraying the agony of what Kelvin and his wife faced in their own failings, there was only a very vague, mystic hope that "all is forgiven." At the end, Kelvin makes what is essentially a blind leap of faith to be reunited with his wife. That leap is rewarded, but no reason is given why it should be.

This is fine for Saturday night entertainment, but imagine if that was the only worldview one had while trying to help a couple like Kelvin and Rheya. In the face of pain that real, harsh, and ugly, more than a vague hope should be offered.

One small aspect of the movie that was annoying was the gratuitous butt shots of Clooney. I recognize the validity of the sexual aspect to Kelvin and his wife's relationship, but I simply do not care to see Clooney's butt. Turn the camera just a little to the right, please.

As a final note, the DVD includes the complete screenplay as an extra. I highly recommend reading it if you rent the DVD. The fully screenplay helps explain more of the characters, particularly Rheya and her struggles.

The process is complete, so I'll have to write about Phone Booth later.

September 24, 2003 10:31 AM
3 Comments

I haven't seen Solaris yet, so I can't comment on it specifically, only on movies in general.
It sounds like this is typical of the Hollywood view that faith is an end in itself. Faith in what is never an issue, and usually it means faith in someone else, or faith in faith, which is really only hope. It's an easy way to lend pseudo-religious "depth" to a flick without having to think too hard about what it actually entails.

Natasha McElhone is underrated--she was great in "the truman show," too.

Pondered by gosey at September 24, 2003 11:52 AM

I haven't seen Solaris, but I hope that Maphet would not tell everyone what happens at the end of the movie without warning. sheesh.

Pondered by crabby at September 24, 2003 06:23 PM

Actually, I didn't really tell you that much about the ending. There's a lot of other stuff that happens, too. You can watch the movie having read my blog, and still not know what will happen.

Pondered by maphet at September 24, 2003 06:51 PM