The Fountain Is A Work Of Art In Every Sense Of The Word

Rating: 10/10 (26 November 2006)

The Fountain, with the tag line, "What if you could live forever?" stars Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz and the incomparable Ellen Burstyn and is directed by Rachel's brilliant husband Darren Aronofsky (Requiem For A Dream). This absolute MUST SEE is now playing in Kingston, Ontario at The Screening Room. The Fountain is a Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Drama that is ultimately about the power of everlasting love  the film takes place over the course of 1,000 years within three parallel stories  but is also about life, death, life after death and the quest for the Fountain of Youth. It's intelligent, full of spiritual symbolism, visually stunning and emotionally devastating. You won't stop thinking about it for days.
The immensely talented and handsome Aussie, Hugh Jackman (X-Men, Someone Like You, Swordfish, Kate & Leopold, Scoop, The Prestige), who has been in no less than six films this year, has never acted better. He made me cry with his performance as a doctor/scientist who is obsessed with finding a cure for death because his beloved wife is dying of a brain tumour. Hugh, in his triple roles as Tomas, Tommy and Tom Creo, was intense, heart wrenching and utterly believable and Academy Award winner Rachel Weisz (Best Supporting Actress for The Constant Gardener) nothing short of subtle perfection. This profound film is laden with luscious special effects and glimmering gold, black and white colours but never for a moment loses its heart and humanity. I will not give away too much about The Fountain because it's one of those movies that you just have to see and more than once at that. It's a work of art in every sense of the word.