The Fountain

Rating: 5/10 (10 September 2015)

Darren Aronofsky is a director perhaps best known for his films which deal with a dark subject matter. Weather it be Drug addiction in 'Requiem for a dream' or the impossible pursuit for perfection in 'Black Swan', he doesn't shy away from tackling these subject matters head on, in a gritty, yet visually stunning way. It is a shame to say that when he deals with various themes of 'Loosing a loved one', 'Spiritualism' and 'The desire of ever lasting life', is done in the most frothy and pretentious way possible.
It's not that the film isn't gorgeous to look at, which it is. The visuals were mostly done through man-made techniques, which in a world of constant CGI, is nice to see. Tom, the space traveller's sphere and the tree of life, is a wonder to behold. But ultimately, this does not amount to much if, the characters are as flat as Thales' belief of the shape of the earth.
Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, two actors who are generally fine, have zero chemistry. Ultimately, the beautiful visuals are futile if the characters aren't believable, which they are not. Because then there isn't an emotional backbone to the narrative. The overuse of Taoist, Hindu and Jewish symbolism is a bit too much. Why have multiple sources for the imagery? Is it to say that life is full of all these faiths and it represents life? I don't know and frankly don't care, which is the main problem.
When somebody explains a different viewpoint of a film and makes you think about it in a different way, it can improve the experience. Several people have given their two cents worth of this film to me, and my reaction remains unchanged. Meh. So we all die in the end? Wow, I never knew that. Next, you'll be telling me the sky is blue. Simply because a film is loaded with hidden messages and symbols, doesn't make it any more deep than one which shows it in an obvious way.