The Fountain

FLICK If you’re looking for a cosmic trip with cool effects and a meditative, heartfelt story, then The Fountain is for you. Though the film spans a thousand years – the 16th century, the present and the 26th century – this is not the sci-fi film that is being promoted in press releases and commercials. Writer-director Darren Aronofsky shows that he is a motion picture artist and has created a poetic, metaphoric film about love, life, death. The three parallel stories are not told in chronological order, but rather abruptly leap around in the three centuries. The engaging Hugh Jackman starts out as Tomas, a Spanish conquistador in search of the Tree of Life (or fountain of youth) at the request of his queen, played by Rachel Weisz. Jump forward to the present and Jackman is medical scientist Tom Creo, (the last name is Spanish for “I believe”) determined to develop a cure for the disease threatening his beloved wife Izzi (Weisz) who is writing a novel, which is actually the first part of the story. Flash 500 years to the future and a bald-headed Jackman is literally floating in air. (Quoting A.O. Scott in the NY Times: “Ms. Weisz, if I’m not mistaken, has turned into a tree.”) Aronofsky is more focused on contrasting subtle ideas about the secret of life told with stunning images, recurring motifs, and striking cinematography. Though the emphasis on the visual forces the characters into secondary significance, it’s their intangible love transcending time and space, which is of most importance. (2006) My Score: 8 out of 10.