I think it is possible to enjoy both versions of Solaris and in many ways I think the strengths of the US version are overlooked and many of the weaknesses can be defended. I've watched this twice and been gripped and stimulated with both viewings.

Strengths

• acting by the leads. These are not easy roles to play. Clooney is solid and McElhone is a diamond as a sentient memory brought to life. It is a wonderfully superficial performance in the most complementary sense of the word.
  
• pacing. The tale that is being told and the mood that is set does not require a 3hr+ runtime.
  
• accessibility (not a dirty word)
• score and visuals creating a distinct mood
• successfully and bravely embraces ambiguity (probably ensuring commercial failure, but seemingly happy to risk that)
• the development of the arc for the Rheya memory in solid form. I thought this was handled almost impeccably.

Weaknesses that can be defended

• The happy Holywood ending. Is it happy? Is it even remotely happy? A man turns his back on reality, likely being killed in the process (self healing) because he had completely lost the sound judgement he had to kill the 'simulation'. He was an emotional and psychological wreck and the film arguably documents his mental breakdown and death of his physical form. Clooney's excellent acting does not i think convey unalloyed bliss at the end, there is a fragility.

• it doesn't dwell long enough on the nature of Solaris? I dont have a problem with some brevity around Solaris itself. This is intentional ambiguity on behalf of the author, so there wouldn't be much to be gained by dealing with it at length as it should be unresolvable / inexplicable.

Weaknesses that I think are more valid

• unnecessary ambiguity around the security teams fate, Gilbrian's suicide, the alien companions of the two remaining crew members and Rheya's actions when she is seen in discussion with an unseen character. If you are going to introduce these issues (particularly the first two) then Kelvin should surely have been making it a priority to investigate these before going to sleep. But no, he heads off to bed and depsite seeing a boy going around the ship he doesn't seem too interested in what other alien inhabitants on the ship that there might be. These elements were all slightly off beat for me.

• a lack of depth in Kelvin's backstory. It might have benefited from showing Kelvin in earth as unsatisfied and lonely, or at least hinting at it (all we got is that he possibly worked long or irregular hours) but he was spending his life in a worthwhile way, helping those in need. Something was needed to help put in context his final decision (which comes like a bolt from the blue given he cannot even have been sure that the Rheya memory would take physical form again). This wouldn't have been required if a physical version of Rheya was present at the time of his decision.