This Will Go Down As Darren Aronofsky's Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (7 June 2007)

Darren Aronofsky previously gave us "Pi" and "Requiem for a Dream", both excellent films in their own right. Now, he brings us "The Fountain" which does the impossible -- ups the ante on what a good Aronofsky film should be. This is, beyond a doubt, his best film to date and possibly ever.
Hugh Jackson is a man in three parallel story lines: a Spanish conquistador in search of the Tree of Life, a cancer researcher who finds a cure for aging (while his wife slowly dies) and a spiritually reflecting man of the future, pondering the nature of life. He is almost unrecognizable as the same actor in these roles, which is a real credit to Jackman. He is often quickly seen as Wolverine (from the "X-Men" films), but he has finally escaped that here.
While the plot and characters here are not the deepest, they are some of the most emotional you'll ever come across. And the scenery -- my science, this is just breathtakingly beautiful. Using chemicals rather than CGI, the film overcomes the flaw of CGI (the cartoon look) and steps us up to a whole new level of expectations. How this film did not get an Oscar for cinematography or special effects is a mystery. No other film (not even "Pan's Labyrinth") could replicate this quality.
There are parts where the viewer probably won't know what's going on. The ending is very arty and open to interpretation. The first five or ten minutes won't make sense until later on in the movie and probably need a second viewing (if you walk into this film blind you'll be very confused for the first fifteen minutes). I could fault the film for this, but when I left the movie I felt I understood everything I had to: this was a visual representation of love, life and god. Which, I guess, isn't really that strange from Aronofsky.
I give the film a 9.6 out of 10 (rounded up to 10). I think everyone ought to see it. You might not like it. You might not understand it. But I think if you give it a chance, you'll be moved. My friend Jason, the biggest fan of the film I know, didn't really love it until the second viewing. Give it a fair shake -- this is one of those films you wait years for, and if you miss it now, you'll regret it.