Brilliant visuals, confusing story lines

Rating: 8/10 (14 January 2008)

I hadn't really heard too much about The Fountain - it directed by Aronofsky, the man who did Requiem for a Dream, it was set in the past, present and future somehow, had to do with eternal life, etc. So I guessed I didn't really have much of an idea about the movie. I was right about that.
The main plot revolves around Tom (Hugh Jackman), a genetic scientist who is trying to perfect a cure for brain tumours, all while dealing with his terminally ill wife Izzi (Rachel Weisz). The movie often follows two different plots that tie in with the main one - a story-within-a-story about a medieval conquistador (also Jackman) searching for the mythical "tree of life" in South America, and Tom's future, where he lives inside a ball with a tree as it hurtles through outer space. Something like that.
It's even harder to wrap your head around the plot when it happens on screen. I'll be honest here, I spent a fairly good portion of the movie wondering what exactly was real and what wasn't. Since I review movies after one viewing, I probably missed a fair bit. This film could use several viewings.
That's a small error to worry about when you're watching everything that's going on. On the whole, any moment in The Fountain is a powerful one. Everything comes together perfectly - sight, sound, emotions. If anything really stood out about this film, it was the general look of the film. Visually, The Fountain is quite simply eye-boggling. The final 20 minutes alone are jaw-dropping in their intensity.
The Fountain was one hell of a movie to watch. Between the convoluted, thought-provoking plot line(s) and the film's aesthetics, you're in for more than just a movie - you're in for an experience.