At once an intelligent commentary and profound visual experience

Rating: 10/10 (29 July 2010)

A movie like "The Fountain" doesn't come along every day. Here is a rundown of its best qualities, which few movies can similarly boast all at once:

Awesome original score. Raw and powerful, its emotional force ebbs and flows seamlessly with the visual elements, from moment to moment. It is lamenting and mysterious, beautiful, cascading in repeating patterns and creating an aural texture that is simply stunning.

Brilliant acting. I have seen this movie four times. Up until this last time (7-28-10), I thought of the movie synonymously as a "tour de force" by Hugh Jackman. His portrayal of Tommy, a young doctor attempting against the clock to save his wife from cancer, and of a Spanish Conquistador and futuristic monk show three angles of the same quest: a man straining at his very limit to find the answers to his questions. Jackman acts unreservedly, allowing us to see deeply into each character. I have always thought that Rachel Weisz was also very good. However, upon this last viewing, it struck me that Weisz' heart- rending performance is, arguably, even more critical to the movie's success than Jackman's. In the end, this is a moot point: it is sufficient to say that Weisz turns in one of the best, most intriguing and deeply human character sketches of her career in this movie.

Brilliant directing. Obviously, when you try to weave a visual fantasy (Weisz' character's fictional book) together with the theme of birth and rebirth as seen through the lens of the ancient Mayan culture together with a love story of a modern-day couple together with the relationship of a queen and her champion conquistador during the time of the Great Inquisition - and to do it all in a visually staggering way while still driving forward the story and keeping it interesting - you're going to need some skill. Enter Darren Aronofsky. I haven't yet seen "Pi" or "Requiem for a Dream," but, trust me, these are now top of the list of movies I want/need to see.

Breathtaking visuals. I have only seen one movie that I might rank higher than "The Fountain" for its accomplishment as a visual feast in its own right, and that is "Hero." But this is some distinguished company. If you lose track of the story in The Fountain (which can happen), or just want to listen to your iPod for a while, put this movie on in the background and mute the sound and I guarantee: you will have a very entertaining and beautiful experience! In fact, if you do, email me and let me know how it was.

Unforgettableness. Unlike the bulk of movies that are thrust before us, this movie gives you something to chew on, for all of the above reasons but also because it grapples with age-old quandaries like death and the meaning of life.

All-in-all, a tremendous accomplishment.