Darren Aronofsky’s long-awaited Requiem follow-up is a thought-provoking head trip.
1998’s Pi served as director Darren Aronofsky’s calling card; the arrival of a wildly inventive and promising new director on the scene. But two years later, Requiem For a Dream blew movie lovers out of the water. At 31-years-old, Aronofsky had crafted a film of which directors twice his age were immediately envious. On one hand, it was intensely morose and disturbing. On the other, visually gorgeous and expertly crafted. It was a modern-day masterpiece.
The wait for Darren Aronofsky’s follow-up has been a lengthy one. Talk of The Fountain first trickled out shortly after Requiem’s release, but the film had a rough ride on the way to its ultimate release this November 22nd. It went through a different lead cast (originally Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett), different production companies and a radical cut in budget. Still, here it is, a few years later than expected, but sure to please the Aronofsky faithful and keep all others discussing for some time to come.
Hugh Jackman stars as three different men in three different time periods, each with a similar quest for eternal life. There is Tomas, a 16th-century conquistador searching for the Fountain of Youth on behalf of the Queen of Spain (Rachel Weisz). In present day, a scientist named Tommy Creo is hopelessly searching for the cure to save his wife, Isabel, who is dying of cancer. In the 26th century, Tom is an astronaut traveling across deep space. All three stories converge in a tale of man’s contemplations and realizations of life, love and death.
Ellen Burstyn co-stars. The Fountain is directed by Aronofsky from a script he co-wrote with Ari Handel.
To be quite honest, it’s hard to know exactly what to make of The Fountain after a single viewing. This is a movie that begs slow digestion, gestation and, in my opinion, another viewing to soak it all in fully. I plan to see it again, but obviously, I found a lot to like on the first viewing. This is a deep, cerebral work with terrific performances, amazingly beautiful visuals and, most importantly to me, the clear signal that Darren Aronofsky is living up to the hype machine built by his two previous works.
Hugh Jackman is not the first actor you’d think of for a role like this. He wasn’t even on Aronofsky’s list, even after Pitt’s departure. But somehow the two men connected over the story and Jackman was able to convince Aronofsky he was the right man for the job. We can all be thankful for this. Jackman’s work hear is positively stellar. He hits all the right points through what looks to have been a completely emotionally draining production. From gut-wrenching emotion to the emblazoned battles of 16th century Spain, Jackman is committed to Tomas/Tommy/Tom. He invests himself fully into all three roles, delivering a truly epic performance that ranks as his career best and one of the best male performances of 2006.
The object of Tommy’s passion is a critical element to The Fountain’s success and Weisz embodies this angelic object of love and affection quite adeptly. Jackman and Weisz achieve a very strong chemistry during the course of the story of their generation-spanning love. This is the toughest element of the film to sell, as it could easily seem too over-the-top, but Weisz sells her appeal with a restrained subtlety. The two actors share a strong connection so crucial to a film that is, aside from the fantastical elements, a love story at the core.
Visually and stylistically, Darren Aronofsky is nearly unmatched as a modern-day filmmaker. The Fountain could be an enjoyable watch were a viewer to mute the sound and merely sit back and enjoy the lush cinematography and breathtaking visuals. Aronofsky makes the most of his meager $35 million dollar budget and crafts a film that looks to have cost at least twice the price.
It’s hard to critique a film that you feel the need to see again. On first viewing, I can comment that the movie is occasionally a bit heavy-handed. Humor is few and far between, but then again, Requiem didn’t have a lot of laughs either once it got going. Sometimes a laugh here or there might help to break up that tension. Length is an issue I often criticize in modern movies, but The Fountain is probably the first one I will ever criticize in the reverse. It’s too short. For a story that feels this epic, I felt like I could see more, that it could easily go deeper.
Before the screening, Aronofsky addressed the crowd, proclaiming that, even if you don’t like the movie, you should encourage people to see it because films like this just don’t get made any more. I couldn’t agree with him more. Love it or hate it, The Fountain is a thinking-man’s movie. It will probably inspire post-film debate and, no matter what you ultimately think of it, is not easily forgotten. Personally, I reserve a final judgment until I can check it out again. Either way, this is a movie anyone seeking a truly original experience at the cinema should partake in.
ReelzChannel Rating: 