Maybe if it was Bowie, and it was the 70's....

Rating: 3/10 (10 February 2008)

The Fountain seems very dated. I'm reminded of Kubrick's brilliant film operas, very much reminded of George Roy Hill's Slaughterhouse-Five. Reminded, reminded. This is a film that practically screams "COMPARE ME TO OTHER FILMS!". It might have survived scrutiny better 30 years ago, when we weren't so used to seeing grandiose, long winded attempts to explain simple concepts. Kubrick was the master at it and he, yes even he, can induce a yawn.
Hugh Jackman (who gives it his best), plays a man who seeks out eternal life and spends what I'm assuming is eternity trying to understand it all out of love for his dying wife. I can only imagine how horrible eternal life would be, but this film would suggest it's like Bill Murray's Groundhog Day. Scenes are repeated way too many times. Very little is explained, an obvious attempt to create a highbrow intellectual atmosphere, but it just becomes frustrating. It is nice to look at, but becomes flat after a while. Beautifully shot, although relying a lot on the washed out dull look that's popular now. There are very few light moments, literally. I can't help but laugh when hospitals are lit like cellars during a black out, but it's done often and it's done here. The apartment that Jackman shares with Rachel Weiz, his dewy, glowy, dying wife is gloomy Gothic chic. The Spanish explorer and Queen scenes are gloomy Alhambra chic. Scenes of the jungle and The Tree of Life, are gloomy Apocolypto chic. Then there are the future Space scenes, probably the most derivative (and gloomy) off all. Pretentious, unoriginal and grim. I pity anyone who saw this in a theatre.