Do I like it?....no,but I can appreciate it, and know it is a work of art.

Rating: 7/10 (22 April 2011)

This movie has had an infamous reputation amongst my circle of friends, and for good reason.
The plot: Spread between three time lines (past, present and future{I think}) it movie tells a story of a conquistador searching for the fountain of youth. A doctor trying find a cure for his ill wife, and the future: Which is so abstract all I can say is a man trying to save a tree?
The writing: Is good, the story lines I understood made sense and are filled with symbolism about; life, death , and the after life. The characters interactions are well written and the relations between Hugh Jackman's characters and Rachel Weisz's characters are quite compelling (both of them play a "different" character in each timeline. Sadly I did find the three stories as a whole hard to enjoy as I spent most of the movie trying to figure out what is supposed to be happening. This led me to become more bored than intrigued. I thought the most compelling story is the one of the past, as it is both intriguing and understandable. The story line in the present seemed to be overly dramatic as the characters are not given enough development for me to empathize with them. The future story line is enjoyable to watch, but I did not really understand it.I would compare this movie with the novel "One Hundred Years Of Solitude" by Garcia Marquez, not only with its dream atmosphere but because of the time lapses are similar.
The acting: The lead actors in this movie were good, but they seemed to be secondary. Most of the movies strengths lie in its script and atmosphere. This is not to say no emotions are conveyed by the actors as Jackman and Weisz give a full on performance. This performance also demanded a myriad of emotions to be displayed in sequence and the leads do a great job during these scenes.
The cinematography: I thought this was the best part of the movie. The interloping cuts between time lines are done really, and the imaginative environments created are filled with mystique. We are taken to the deep South American jungles, to an tranquil garden reminiscent to that of distant galaxies, and more moderate scene in a gloomy hospital. The lighting ranged from high contrasts to darker softer lights (depending on the timeline). The contrasting atmospheres of the three story lines some how meshed well together and this is definitely credited to Aronofsky's visionary direction.
The score: Mostly filled with strings to convey emotion and emphasize the drama in each scene. It works well with the movie and is not jarring in any way, but is nothing spectacular.
If you are in the mood for something abstract that will take you to places only in our imaginations watch this movie. However if one is unable to appreciate the arts do not watch this movie without someone who does so one may be able to appreciate this masterfully created film.
7.5/10