I've read the book by Stanislaw Lem and seen the film by Tarkowski and I must say that this film is not Solaris. It might be "inspired" by Solaris, but nothing more. Having said this, it's not a bad movie and a nice love story and has some interesting things, I liked all those flashbacks in particular.
Anyway, if compared to the real Solaris, here's what I disliked (so be warned - SPOILERS):
1) Who the f* is Gordon? Where is Sartorius? Why was he cut out? He was the most ambiguos character in the book, struggled between hating and loving the visitors.
2) Where is Solaris? Lem spends half the book to describe the planet! Centuries of wasted research trying to understand that alien intelligence. Why not spend that 5 minutes to explain Solaris? It's supposed to be a SF movie, isn't it?
3) Why, why, why, why had Snaut to be an aggressor? I cannot believe this! Did Soderbergh really mean it? This is definitively _not_ was Solaris is all about. And why has he forgot to talk? Nobody understands what he is saying. Incredible.
4) Using the planet commercially? Sending a special forces to the space station? Argh! Why must everything be about making money and why are all space stations run by corporations? Solaris is really about search for knowledge, it is about SCIENCE fiction, Lem's station is run by a scientific community!
My tip if you like SF: Watch Solaris by Tarkowsky (1972) or best: read the book!
Anyway, if compared to the real Solaris, here's what I disliked (so be warned - SPOILERS):
1) Who the f* is Gordon? Where is Sartorius? Why was he cut out? He was the most ambiguos character in the book, struggled between hating and loving the visitors.
2) Where is Solaris? Lem spends half the book to describe the planet! Centuries of wasted research trying to understand that alien intelligence. Why not spend that 5 minutes to explain Solaris? It's supposed to be a SF movie, isn't it?
3) Why, why, why, why had Snaut to be an aggressor? I cannot believe this! Did Soderbergh really mean it? This is definitively _not_ was Solaris is all about. And why has he forgot to talk? Nobody understands what he is saying. Incredible.
4) Using the planet commercially? Sending a special forces to the space station? Argh! Why must everything be about making money and why are all space stations run by corporations? Solaris is really about search for knowledge, it is about SCIENCE fiction, Lem's station is run by a scientific community!
My tip if you like SF: Watch Solaris by Tarkowsky (1972) or best: read the book!