The movies for today were Dark City and Solaris (new version). Dark City was dark. Go figure. It reminded me of Metropolis and Blade Runner, in the stygian depths of the city as well as the anachronistic set design. Why do so many movies set in the future make everyone and everything look like it belongs in 1947? At least Dark City explained why. Good movie, if you are into mind-bending science fiction mystery movies. Great movie, if you are into great set design and cinematography.
Solaris, on the other hand, tries to be mind-bending but ends up telegraphing every move a mile ahead. I’ve not read the Lem book on which it’s based, but I’m betting it’s not as simple as the movie. Clooney’s wife is dead, he goes to a magical planet and his wife appears with no memory except of him. Anyone else see that she is a physical figment of his imagination? Maybe the planet made her. Ya think? The cinematography is fantastic in Solaris, as well, but the story is just a little flat.
Neither of these movies, despite being science fiction, had much in the way of special effects. The planet in Solaris was supposed to be impressive, but it just looked like a plasma lamp to me. The morphing city in Dark City was very cool, though.
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Dark City was a good movie, I rather liked that one. It’s one of those, it’ll never win awards, but it’s entertaining, which is after all, a movie’s sole job.
Solaris however, was boring as hell, a total snooze-fest. I believe I didn’t even make it to the end. So slow, and SO dull. He should stick to things like Ocean’s Eleven or From Dusk Till Dawn.
I found Solaris to be a decent thought-provoking premise, based on the concept of what makes us unique, and if the memories of others would be enough to create a real human.
What I found hard to swallow is the idea that, since his wife’s simulacrum looked and acted like her but was lacking in anything he didn’t put there from his memories, he found her compelling. I doubt that anyone would find a partial human preferable to a memory of better times.
Maybe in the depths of his grief, he can overlook what’s lacking? The heart sees what the heart wants?