A meditative love poem; something to behold.

Rating: 10/10 (2 December 2006)

It's been a few days since I've seen this film, and it still is in my mind. Darren Aronofsky has created a bold, beautiful and abstract piece of art. And he should be commended for it.
This film is not for everyone. This is not a film you just randomly "check out." You must be prepared. I've been waiting three years for this film. It has been in development even longer. This past week I finally got the see the film that I have been waiting for.
The Fountain is a simple tale, told masterfully and abstractly. I went in ready to focus on every nuance this film held, and it was a joy. This is pure cinema, in an Eisensteinian, juxtaposition of images, enthralling way. There is no hyperbole when I say the visuals are breathtaking. This is truly a film made for the theatre, but will sadly probably never gain respect until the small screen. I had the pleasure of seeing it on the largest screen I've ever seen. That is how it should be viewed.
Everyone involved in this project should be applauded. It is certainly two of the strongest and most emotionally vulnerable performances by Jackman and Weisz. The cinematography is stunning, the score, evocative and haunting. The images edited on screen are magnificent. This film holds your heart in its grip, and keeps you there for its totality. I was sucked in from frame one and did not leave until the very film unspooled in front of my eyes. This is a film you sit down and talk about afterwards. Not everyone will like it, sadly, hardly anyone will ever see it, but if you are a lover of cinema you owe it to yourselves to see this NOW, in the theatre.
The Fountain is not perfect, but it is potent. Aronofsky has put forth an astounding piece of work; a meditative love poem of death and eternity.