on not being disappointed

The staff at Special Collections (aka paradise) are really quite amazing. I made a completely newbie error and didn't take down the bibliographic details of an eighteenth-century text I used for my research on the Marriage Act of 1753. With nothing more than the title I thought was correct - History of Parliamentary Debates and a page reference, they found it for me. Stellar. Of course, my thesis being handed in, I'll have to add the reference (which I had to remove) before it's hardbound - after I pass of course (please please please!!!).

Last night, being thoroughly bored with telly's meager offerings, we watched Solaris - the Soderbergh version, yes - I know - not the original Russian version (we'll get to it!). I remember this film being advertised and thought it looked absolutely rubbish. Turns out, the PR team for the film were absolutely rubbish. I recall it being billed as a kind of romance-suspense-(quasi) space horror - kind of Alien but clearly not. I feel rather cheated now because this is one of the best science fiction films I've ever seen - in fact, I'll dare to remove that stigmatizing genre category and just say this is one of the best films I've ever seen. I'm not overly fond of Soderbergh and I thought Traffic was pedantic and tortured; nor have I joined Hollywood's left wing activists on the Clooney bandwagon. I can't stand E.R. - never could and unfortunately, I have let that taint my opinion of Clooney's acting skills and artistic choices. Nasser has recently been reading Stanislaw Lem (The Cyberiad) and as I was shelving in the library earlier in the week, I stumbled on Solaris, and did some research - it's based (loosely) on Lem's story - which, intriguingly, still does not have an official English translation. Soderbergh and others are working from an English version of the French translation of the Polish. Having watched it, even this detail - this layering and distancing of the (English) audience is provocative and resonant.

This film is stunning in all respects - it is beautifully shot and directed; the roles are unbelievably difficult and carried off with aplomb by every actor. In spite of being connected to The Abyss, the special effects are minimal. The music is incredible. But - a warning if you are tempted to rush out and rent this - it isn't like anything you are expecting. More like 2001: A Space Odyssey than anything else I can think of, it did badly on general release - little wonder there: the dialogue is minimal, there is no explanation - no resolution - no conclusion; the acting is subdued and there is rarely more than one person on screen at a time. There are scenes with almost no background sound - unnerving and perfectly orchestrated. It is confusing ('challenging' claims one description of the film), non-linear, and not for a casual viewing experience.

BUT it repays thought and rewatching and leaves that lovely lingering sense of new ideas and larger horizons - in my mind at least.