Ambitious and ultimately rewarding, but falls a bit short of the mark

Rating: 8/10 (26 January 2009)

Darren Aronofsky's name will almost exclusively be linked with the amazingly awesome REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, and in his latest offering, Aronofsky's genius once again comes to the forefront in an impressively ambitious Motion Picture that is full of atmosphere and emotion, but eventually will be described as a film that one appreciates but does not really 'like'.
Part of the problem was its running length of about 90 minutes, which I felt was too short a time to convey what Aronofsky wanted to accomplish. For the first half-hour or so, I myself was unsure of what the film's overall purpose was. A lengthier, better-paced movie may have been better suited to an undertaking of this magnitude. My other problem was that the three stories did not intertwine as well as they should have at many times, and themselves felt like separate short stories.
Nonetheless, I applaud this Motion Picture for its ambition, its vision, its story, its acting (Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz were quite spectacular), and its breathtaking and mood-setting score.
Overall, a solid 8/10 and 3 stars (out of 4). If only more filmmakers had the vision and the drive to undertake a project of this scope. Recommended, especially for those seeking a unique, strange, and ultimately rewarding Motion Picture about the quest for Everlasting Life, and the Certainty of Death.