Review of The Fountain (2006) by Charles C — 29 Mar 2014

Doesn't live up to the absolute mastery of Requiem for a Dream or Black Swan, but definitely a thoughtful, intriguing movie with plenty of interesting ideas. The cinematography and score are both absolutely superb, but I unfortunately can't say the same for the characters or the plot. Aronofsky's attempt at a millennium-spanning tale is definitely admirable, but the story buckles a bit under the weight of its own ambition and all three time threads never quite coalesce into the revelatory climax he's striving for. Also, the film veers into melodrama a bit too much for my liking- it's sometimes successful in delivering powerful moments, but other times feel a bit like overstatement.

Overall though, those powerful moments as well as the impressive visuals, resonant score, and thoughtful musings on the intertwinement of life and death are definitely enough to keep the movie on its feet. It's just a shame that it never really ends up walking anywhere.