OK, saw Solaris tonight. Good flick. Lots to digest. Honestly, it was better than I expected from Soderbergh, who I wouldn't have guessed had the patience or the art-film chops to pull this off at the level of grace he aspires to and more or less maintains throughout. I'd sure like to see the long version, which a Mobius poster has described, with spoliers, here.

I wouldn't say it reaches the same level as the Tarkovsky version, which is long enough that you tend to lose yourself in it, and creepy enough that some of the scenes that take place on the space station orbiting Solaris play almost like a horror film, but it's quite something on its own terms. I wish we had more expensive Hollywood films along these lines -- it's clearly a labor of love for everyone involved, and the disastrous box-office reception just make the effort a little more poignant. Bet the DVD will find a sizable and appreciative cult audience. A proper review will be forthcoming.

Those of you who've seen Solaris and enjoyed it may be interested in an early version of the screenplay.

And, oh yeah, P.S., the mysterious National Board of Review apparently just released its picks for movies o' the year. Looks like one studio in particular is getting Miramaximum exposure from the ol' NBR this year. That Chicago places so high on the NBR list only gives me the willies about Gangs of New York, about which I am trying to remain highly excited. And the absence of The Two Towers from this list may well be a good sign. IndieWire has the full story, but the top 10 list follows.

1. "The Hours" (Paramount/Miramax)
2. "Chicago" (Miramax)
3. "Gangs of New York" (Miramax)
4. "The Quiet American" (Miramax)
5. "Adaptation" (Sony)
6. "Rabbit-Proof Fence" (Miramax)
7. "The Pianist" (Focus Features)
8. "Far From Heaven" (Focus Features)
9. "13 Conversations About One Thing" (Sony Classics)
10. "Frida" (Miramax)

Saw the all-media screening of Chicago tonight, with one of the most enthusiastic crowds I can remember. Lots of theater people in attendance — wild cheering after each of the musical numbers, loud applause for key cast and crew members during the end credits — at the Loews Astor Plaza, which is itself a cavernous movie theater built below Times Square, just off Broadway. Never thought I'd see a movie where a good portion of the crowd sat through the entire closing credit scroll, only to start whooping and hollering their appreciation again as the last bit of film left the projector.

Anyway. Though I was kind of rooting for it, the movie itself left me wholly unmoved. The director, Rob Marshall, is a choreographer whose credits include choreography and co-direction of the Broadway production of Cabaret (which I adored), and I think that may be part of the problem — his narrative strategy for the film is conceptually intriguing but, in execution, kind of clumsy. I’m thinking C+, but a full review will be forthcoming.

I haven’t seen Soderbergh’s version of Solaris yet, but check out those Cinemascores. Is this the first time a movie has gotten Fs across all the demos those people survey? In other Tarkovsky-influences-the-new-generation news, check out this videogame inspired in part by Stalker.

Scott Tobias has conducted a fascinating interview with scuzz auteur Abel Ferrara for The Onion AV Club. Highly recommended. (R'Xmas is on my DVD to-view shelf, how about yours?)

So is this how this weblog thing is supposed to work? Hope I can come up with something to write tomorrow, too.