Due to heavier than normal traffic, unfortunately I missed the first 15 minutes or so. So... this cannot be a legitimate review. But here are a few of my comments.

I'm sure you've jumped into a film after it's begun. Actually, sometimes the challenge of figuring out what's going on adds to the fun of the film. In this case, after a couple of minutes, I feared "Solaris" might be one of those deep intensely intricate stories that delights in prompting relentless cognitive activity on the part of it's viewers. You know, like "Momento" or "Brazil." Initially, I thought I might never figure out this film.

But, within about 10 minutes, not only did I get the gist, but was a bit disappointed that it was as simple as all that. In the future, a crew of three scientists boards a space ship with the mission of observing the planet Solaris. But Solaris has the ability to get inside their heads and make lifelike beings of their memories. How each member deals with their particular "visitors" and each other is the thrust of the film.

Somber, serious, and rather slow, "Solaris" seems to make a great short story, but lacks the substance for a feature film. That said, Clooney, Davies, Davis and McElhone give some outstanding performances, the set design is solid, and the music hypnotic. Lastly, this 2001-esque psychological thriller offers up a few juicy quandaries to ponder.