As a big fan of Polish sci-fi author Stanlislaw Lem, I was eager to see this series, but apprehensive; I was not impressed with either version of Solaris, since both went for the romance and ignored the truly mind-bending natural phenomena described in Lem's novel. To do Lem, a filmmaker needs to really "go big"...or go small, as happens here, with a delightful take on Lem's satirical stories about space pilot Ijon Tichy.
The filmmaker/star has done a brilliant job of capturing Lem's humor, as well as the Polish/Eastern Bloc "thing" that gives his work an extra dimension. The actor's own (rather shabby) apartment is the rocket interior; a coffee-maker serves as the rocket ship; and amazing things are done with cheese graters, canister vacuum cleaners, and many other odds and ends. Does this sound cheesy? Yes, but it's also surprisingly sophisticated and wonderfully creative and colorful. Who knew space travel, time loops, and holographic companions could be so much fun?
English subtitles are out there, and they are pretty good. See more info in the Message Threads for this movie.
The filmmaker/star has done a brilliant job of capturing Lem's humor, as well as the Polish/Eastern Bloc "thing" that gives his work an extra dimension. The actor's own (rather shabby) apartment is the rocket interior; a coffee-maker serves as the rocket ship; and amazing things are done with cheese graters, canister vacuum cleaners, and many other odds and ends. Does this sound cheesy? Yes, but it's also surprisingly sophisticated and wonderfully creative and colorful. Who knew space travel, time loops, and holographic companions could be so much fun?
English subtitles are out there, and they are pretty good. See more info in the Message Threads for this movie.