The Fountain

The Fountain (2006)

Written and Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn, Mark Margolis, Sean Patrick Thomas, Donna Murphy, Stephen McHattie, Fernando Hernandez, Cliff Curtis

Everyone I know who saw this movie said it sucked big time - that it was possibly the most boring movie in the entire universe, so understandably I felt a little worried about watching it (God knows why - these were the same people who thought 300 was a fucking masterpiece, but oh well).

Anyway, I'm not entirely sure I can outline the plot accurately, as I'm still working on what was going on, but here goes.

It's about a conquistador who is sent to the jungles of South America to find the Tree of Life for his Queen, promising to drink of the life giving sap or whatever and bring it back to her so that they can live forever. Anyway, he does find it, and he does become immortal, but he doesn't come back for her. Hundreds of years later, he is a doctor trying to find some way to stop his wife (who is also the Spanish Queen) from dying of a brain tumour, using bark from the Tree of Life. Centuries later still he remembers it all as he travels with the Tree of Life (which sort of has the soul of Queen Isabelle/Izzie/Rachel Weisz) towards the big nebula in the sky known as Xibalba to be reborn and time goes in a big circle back to where everything started.

It's about what it means to be immortal, how you don't seem to have enough time when you need it and yet you're given an eternity to agonize about it later. The guy keeps playing over and over in his mind the one moment when he should have gone with her, spent more time with her...

It really is the most amazing thing I have ever seen - it touched my soul, the visuals were breathtaking (I hate that expression, but really, I couldn't breathe), the music was gorgeous, and the story was the very kind that means something to me. I was practically crying by the end of it...  it sort of makes you think about how you can't really appreciate a person until they're long gone.

I really don't see how anybody could find that boring. I was riveted. My arms and legs went numb because I forgot to move. Obviously it's not for everyone's taste, but I would still highly recommend seeing it just in case. Try to keep in mind that it's not really linear, it's not three unconnected stories, it's not really what anyone says it is. I mean, even my description of it is pretty biased - that's what I think is going on.

END COMMUNICATION