Solaris Four stars Director: Steven Soderbergh, based on the novel by Stanislaw Lem Stars: George Clooney, Natascha McElhone, Jeremy Davies, Viola Davis, and John Cho With the opening scenes of “Solaris,” the mood is unquestionably somber. George Clooney plays Dr. Chris Kelvin, a psychiatrist who seems to be just going through the motions. One of the first scenes is him just sitting in bed alone. Many will recognize in his body language as one of those times where something weighs on our minds so heavily, it is a Herculean effort just to get up and begin the day. Much of this film is shot in dark, muted colors to further enhance the overall tone. Make no mistake, science-fiction is the vehicle here. But this is a psychological/existential thriller, if we must assign labels. Kelvin is visited by two strange men who are part of a private company that has taken over a mission from NASA. Kelvin’s friend, Dr. Gibarian (Ulrich Tukur) and a small crew are aboard a space statio...

  Inside Job Directed by: Charles Ferguson Written by: Charles Ferguson, Chad Beck, and Adam Bolt When I was still a reporter, I remember trying to wrap my head around the machinations of the global economic crisis that took place in 2008. I had covered some of the peripheral fallout such as the local construction sites that had been left abandoned, seemingly overnight, but never had the chance to get to the heart of the matter. However, I had a valuable resource -- childhood friend James Pressler -- an economist and terrific writer. He took me behind the scenes, dispensed with the political spin surrounding the events, and helped me grasp exactly what was going on. It was a tragic turn of events for many, to say the least. But it sparked something in me. And then this film came out, which furthered my interest in the subject. Not only is “Inside Job” one of the best documentaries of the 21 st Century so far, it is one of the best films of any genre, and certainly one of...