Solaris Homage?

Rating: 7/10 (5 August 2005)

is the scene where Rachel sees the bodies floating in the river and knowing nod to Solaris? The child by the river, and the way he focuses on the reeds bending in the flow both seem too similar for a New Hollywood cineatse like SS not to have been aware of. Also I thought this was one of the artily (as opposed to artfully) directed blockbusters I've ever seen. Some of the more interesting shots worked well (the shot of Ray through the smashed window is one I recall, there were a few others that escape me now) and some were just awful (the constant full facial close ups as in Rachel's abduction). Agree with the first comment, the first two thirds was very well done and avoided the CGI and sentiment addiction which has largely put me off SS, but then the final third. oh dear. The machines actually worked well, perhaps as they were in the distance and not acting alongside real actors but the aliens themselves were hideously stupid (yes it's technically impressive but when used with live action scenes they jar awfully and give the whole thing a ridiculous and inauthentic feel). The best Sci fi is always essentially about earth and humanity, the aliens are a point of reference from which we can examine our own humanity, hence low budget horror/sci fi films with few FX can often be far more intelligent than big budget smashes, and the beginning really used the premise to examine the American psyche (albeit not so subtly "is it the terrorists?") this but then in come the SFX to ruin the lot and the less said about the farcical ending the better. Like a booze-hound falling off the waggon after months of AA Spielberg has teased us with what he might do and then let us all down.