(2006, 96 min) Spanish explorer Tomas, present-day researcher Tommy, future intergalactic traveler Tom (Hugh Jackman) — he is dislocated temporally, but he searches for the same thing in each arena: immortality. He’s bound across time to his beloved Isabel (Rachel Weisz). For his queen, the Conquistador looks for the Fountain of Youth in the new world. Tommy searches for a cure before cancer claims his beloved wife. And Tom glides through the vast expanse of space in a glowing bubble that contains the Tree of Life, sometimes visited by yet another incarnation of his Isabel.
The film is a visual feast; even the research lab sustains an ethereal glow. Jackman and Weisz assay their roles with believability and charm, and just the right touch of mythic presence. The film travels along slipstreams of time as the three storylines fold over one another, exploring the eternal quest to conquer the impermanence of existence and the loss of love. Yet for all of the considerable enchantment and grace crafted by director Darren Aronofsky, there is something missing in the end: the film engenders more bemusement than arousal, more diversion than contemplation. It's almost as if the indulgent imagery distracts from the emotional core. It recalls in opposition the crisp, cerebral edginess of Pi and the visceral impact of Requiem for a Dream.
While not perfectly executed, The Fountain still provides much intellectual and pictorial stimulation. It grapples with metaphysical issues and asks questions that have plagued us since the dawn of self-awareness and the inception of individuality. The Fountain makes grand use of the medium to explore our ongoing inquiries into the fabric of reality; the chemistry between Jackman and Weisz make it all accessible.
© TLA Entertainment Group
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