George Clooney stars in this psychological science fiction love story. It's not an action movie as it's production company might have you believe, oh no, in fact it's one of the most daring movies to hit the big screen in quite some time. 'Solaris' contains very loud echoes off films like '2001: A Space Odyssey' and the not so classic sci-fi horror piece 'Event Horizon', which if those films are used as references for comparison, allows this film to be well and truly placed in the not so common odd-ball genre. Steven Soderbergh however does steer the film with class. From the opening scene to the closing one, it's so beautifully stylish (in a Monolithic kind of way at least) it's worth watching just for the look he manages to create. Clooney deservingly is owed a pat on the back for his efforts, not to mention for his actual presence in the film. He really is very watchable, even if his performance does parallel the films almost lifelessly cold visuals. If any one word could describe the film and it's leads performance, it would be restrained. Soderbergh makes sure that the film is all about the people and not the time, or the place, which I must say was very refreshing. Unfortunately though, it is this which is the movies downfall. The films setting clouds the actual story which takes place, it confuses because in this day an age of Hollywood run of the mill churn outs, people expect what they see and if something isn't what they expect it to be, they wonder why, and then start to question the film more than they would a normal one. This is why it isn't the movie it deserves to be, not because it isn't a very good movie, but because culture (especially in the U.S) at this point in time can't see it's brilliance and if it can, it doesn't want to. Confused? You should try watching the film.

3/5