Solaris (VHS, 2003) and similar items

Steven Soderbergh (OCEAN'S ELEVEN, TRAFFIC) delivers yet another inspired remake with this pensive sci-fi drama based on the book by Stanislaw Lem. Taking his cue from Russian master Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 epic of the same name, Soderbergh boldly chooses atmosphere over action, crafting a profoundly meditative work that will challenge audiences for many years to come. George Clooney plays Chris Kelvin, a therapist who is sent to a space station near the planet of Solaris in order to investigate a series of mysterious happenings. When he arrives, he finds only two surviving crew members, the hyper-strange Snow (Jeremy Davies) and ultra-paranoid Gordon (Viola Davis). Unable to make sense of their fear and confusion, Chris soon discovers the reason for their anxiety. In a seemingly implausible turn of events caused by Solaris's bizarre energy levels, Chris's deceased wife Rhea (Natascha McElhone) reappears. Fully aware that Rhea is only a figment of his memory, Chris is nonetheless unable to dismiss her due to the tragic events surrounding her death. He must somehow find a way to bid farewell to Rhea once and for all without collapsing under the weight of his own guilty conscience. Soderbergh's dream of a motion picture successfully balances philosophy with romance, telling a familiar tale of love and loss in a strikingly original way.