Review of The Fountain (2006) by Trevor R — 10 Nov 2014

Lush visuals and an arresting musical score highlight this deeply personal meditation on life, death, spirituality, and about a million other things. The thematic scope is potentially massive, and having seen it three times now, my feelings toward it seem to ebb and flow (which is perhaps appropriate for the subject).

I admit that I'm not very engaged by either Jackman or Weisz in these roles, and particularly the 'present day' sequences veer much too far into sappy melodrama with ponderous, poetic dialogue that never jives with the attempts at fragile realism (The oft repeated "but it's the first snow!" especially begins to grate after the fourth or fifth time its heard). It's a strange irony, but what seems to be the simplest, most relatable and most human representation of Tommy and Izzy's relationship has always felt to me the most distant and pedantic; I much prefer the silent visuals of the future sequence, and the archetypal dark fairy-tale stylings of the Conquistador story.

Still, "The Fountain" is a rewarding experience and it should be celebrated that a filmmaker like Darren Aranofsky is out there making movies this original, complex, and thoughtful.