hmm

Rating: 5/10 (26 November 2006)

It's been six years since acclaimed writer-director Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream) released his last film. Those six years have been a whirlwind of youthful ambition and overwhelming disappointment. The Fountain's early incarnation in 2002 was a big budget epic starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, then after Pitt dropped out for "creative differences", Aronofsky had to start over, creating what he calls the no budget version of his early script. Pitt was replaced with Hugh Jackman, and Blanchett was replaced with his fiancé Rachel Weisz. The end result is an intimate love story, that just so happens to span three different time periods.
Fans of Aronofsky's previous work will be surprised by his latest film. Gone are the hip hop montages, Snorricam shots (a camera attached to the actor), and nauseating visual tricks. However, Aronofsky keeps his trademark center framing, fades to whites, and ambiguous endings. This is Aronofsky's most original, artistic, and ambitious work to date, and every single shot appears to be profusely thought out. It can even be said this is a thirty-five million dollar art film.
All audiences can appreciate The Fountain's remarkably original photography and astonishing visual effects, guided by Aronofsky's long time cinematographer, Matthew Libatique, as well as the gorgeous score by Clint Mansell, also a previous Aronofsky collaborator. However, will audiences be able to appreciate the film itself? Viewer's reactions from the film have ranged from "beautiful," "gripping," and "transcendent" to "muddled," "unfocused," and even "pretentious." This polarizing effect might have something to do with the odd, interweaving structure of the three time periods the film covers: past, present, and the future in space. In addition, Hugh Jackman plays the same character throughout each time period, which can further confuse audiences.
Darren Aronofsky stated in an interview on Joblo.com that before a prescreening of his film, he told the audience: "Don't think too much." Also, Jackman and Weisz have claimed numerous times that although the film might seem confusing, it's really just a love story at heart. If a viewer takes this advice before watching The Fountain, the film will make perfect sense, and the viewer can appreciate how much Aronofsky did with such a simple idea.
Essentially, The Fountain is about a man, Tom (undoubtedly a reference to David Bowie's Major Tom songs) trying to save his wife, Izzy, who is dying from brain cancer. Tom can't come to terms with her death, yet Izzy openly awaits it. Hugh Jackman is at his undisputed finest as Tom, showing a complete range of emotions, while the beautiful Rachel Weisz gives another solid performance as Izzy, even though it is Jackman, who undoubtedly carries the film. Other critics have proclaimed that Tom and Izzy have little to no character development, but the story Aronofsky is trying to tell is so simple and organic that the characters themselves are just symbols for Man and Woman.
The Fountain is a staggeringly ambitious film that does contain some ridiculous moments and a slow start, but nevertheless, the story of a man's quest for immortality is something we can all relate to.