"The Fountain"

When I saw the trailers for this originally, I really wanted to see it. I also like the Darren Aranofsky guy directing. Then I heard all sorts of not so good things about this movie and I got disappointed. I decided to wait.

And lo, it came up on my Netflix. I watched this movie with relatively low expectations. That being said, I didn't hate this movie. I didn't hate it at all. Dare I say, I even kinda liked it. Oh, it's not without flaws, I can assure you. Then I watched the DVD extras, and it cast the movie in an even kinder light. Well, maybe not kinder, but it certainly put some things in perspective.

The story is of a doctor trying to save his wife from a malignant tumor she has in her brain. But it also flashes back to a conquistador trying to find the Tree of Life, whose sap can heal all and supposedly give you ever-lasting life. It also leaps forward to the future, where this doctor is trying to save the Tree of Life by traveling to a dying star whose death will create a rebirth.
Confusing? Impossible to tie together? Yeah, I know. But astonishingly, it does.

This is science fiction, a love story, and a rumination on the acceptance of death. At first, the Queen of Spain (Rachel Weisz) charges a conquistador (Hugh Jackman) to find this Tree of Life. When he does, and returns with the sap of the Tree, she will be his "Eve". The story jumps forward to Dr. Creo, (Jackman) desperately seeking a cure for his wife (Weisz). She is dying of a tumor. He is consumed with conquering death and finding a way to keep it from taking his wife. His wife has been writing a book, and as he reads it, we find it is the story of the conquistador and the Queen. She left the last chapter for her husband to write. Then the story shifts again, forward another 500 years. In a clear spherical bubble is an old tree and Dr. Creo. He is sustained by it but is clearly trying to save the tree from dying by reaching this nebula.

To me, it was unclear whether this far future event was really happening or if it was perhaps the final chapter in the book that the doctor wrote. They never make it clear. This is one of the faults of the film; not so much literally, but just the fact that there seems to be some subtle things that are foggy. Or maybe just left to the audience.

The visuals in this film are wonderful. And VERY little CG is used. Aranovsky wanted to use as much practical effects as possible. The DVD extras are well worth watching for this. Also you get to see how the process of this movie played out. Apparently started in 2002, they started production in Australia, but the studio pulled the plug when they found the budget sky-rocketing. The sets were enormous and it was going to be really epic. But when it all fell through, it was 8 months before production got started again on a MUCH smaller scale. Seeing all this made me appreciate what they ended up with all the more. I wold certainly liked to have seen this movie as Aranovsky's original vision. Perhaps some of the imperfections are a result of having to rewrite the film on a much smaller scale, but I suppose we won't ever really know.

There is some very worthy stuff here about death, a subject that I find interesting and terrifying all at once. I enjoyed the performances, the Production Design, and the essence of the love story. No, it's not perfect. But I feel there is enough here to warrant a rental. And definitely watch the Special Features as they provide some worthy insight.

This would be at least 2 1/2 stars for me; maybe 3.

~ Neil