SOLARIS

Year: 2002
USA & UK: Twentieth Century Fox
Cast: George Clooney, Natascha McElhone, Jeremy Davies, Viola Davis, Ulrich Tukur, Morgan Rusler, Ann Morgan
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Country: USA
USA: 99 mins
UK: 98 mins
USA Rated: PG-13 for sexuality/nudity, brief language and thematic elements
UK Certificate: 12A contains single use of strong language and a moderate sex scene
USA Release Date: 27 November 2002
UK Release Date: 28 February 2003



Synopsis

Steven Soderbergh, whose eclectic resume includes the Academy Award-winning drama TRAFFIC as well as last year's ensemble caper OCEAN'S ELEVEN, now brings his unique vision to SOLARIS, a story of love, redemption, second chances and a space mission gone terribly wrong.

Set sometime in the future, the film begins when Dr Chris Kelvin is asked to investigate the unexplained behaviour of key scientists on the space station Prometheus and to discover why they have cut off all communication with Earth.

Kelvin undertakes the journey after watching the last communique from his close friend Gibarian, the mission's commander. Transmitted six months earlier, the disjointed video journal shows a clearly disillusioned and despairing man. Keenly aware that his opinion will decide the fate of the orbital station, Kelvin is shocked by what he finds upon his arrival. Gibarian has committed suicide and the two remaining scientists are exhibiting signs of extreme stress and terror, seemingly caused by the results of their examination of the planet Solaris.

As he begins to track down the reasons for the distress aboard the Prometheus, Kelvin, too, falls victim to the unique world's mysteries, as well as an erotic obsession with someone he thought he left behind.

George Clooney stars as Chris Kelvin a grief therapist who has yet to reconcile with himself over the loss of his wife; Rheya (Natascha McElhone), whose untimely death two years before has left Kelvin bereft and in a state of emotional isolation. Snow (Jeremy Davies) and Helen (Viola Davis) are scientists aboard the space station desperately trying to discover the secret of Solaris before it destroys them all, while Gibarian is played by German actor Ulrich Tukur, the mission commander of the ill-fated Prometheus.

Written for the screen and directed, photographed and edited by Steven Soderbergh, SOLARIS is a new adaptation of the science-fiction novel by Polish writer Stanislaw Lem. The novel was first filmed in 1972 as a Russian production directed by Andrei Tarkovsky.

DVD EXTRAS

Certificate: 12
Running Time: 99 mins
DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (16x9 Widescreen)
DVD Sound Quality: Dolby 5.1
DVD Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired

Special Features:
Feature length audio commentary by Producer James Cameron & Director Steve Soderbergh (sound Dolby 2.0)
HBO Behind-the-scenes special
'Solaris - Behind the Planet' feature
Script
Animated menus