The Fountain

Compared to Mother!, I didn't like The Fountain that much, but it is still an interesting and unconventional film that intrigues, but doesn't really blow your balls off. A great Hugh Jackman and a beautiful Rachel Weisz, biblical references, great scenes with the Mayas, nice imagery and decent art, but I found it a bit drawn out even at 90 minutes. It's not my genre, so a neutral three stars radiates rather satisfaction. 65% (11/08/2017)

I prefer other Aronofsky's movies, it is quite clear also from the ratings, but you simply cannot deny that this one has something to it, that it is primarily a story about the beauty of life and love. It is evident that Aronofsky is truly well-read in the Old Testament, as he demonstrated with his film "Noah", but neither in this case does he necessarily follow the traditional religious path, but adapts everything to himself. However, "The Fountain" is not a greater work because of it. (09/08/2014)

A complex philosophical allegory? Only in appeareance. An easy key to understanding it is Aronofsky's experiences in recent years and his fears about the death of loved ones. The Fountain is a powerful account of coming to terms with mortality, nicely mixed with a powerful love story. And for viewers who don't give a damn about a statement, The Fountain is an almost meditative and visually sophisticated piece of work, and to fully appreciate it, you need to be in a meditative mood, watch it in peace, in the shadows of a cinema, or at home after sunset. Certainly not in full light, with flash reflections on the screen, while ironing or as a soundtrack while working with the occasional "informative" look (I've been known to do that). I had somewhat overlooked Hugh Jackman until today, but here he impressed me with his heartfelt performance, I believed his every emotion. And thank God for the – forced by circumstances and limited budget – intimate mood of the whole film. The originally intended battles of armies of several thousand men and space ships would have made this fragile film a complete travesty. (05/15/2007)

The work, which completely defies any categorization or evaluation. What I saw is indeed a masterpiece, which is unique and will probably remain so forever. Darren Aronofsky created a work that redefines cinematography and that the current audience is not yet prepared for (as evidenced by minimal box office receipts in the US and a disastrous distribution strategy here). You can take The Fountain as a captivating romantic drama about sacrifice, help, and hope, as a charming philosophical work that, however, does not try (as some mistakenly believe) to find the meaning of life, but shows the path to immortality and in the end, you can only look at it as a brilliantly directed, wonderfully acted, and fascinatingly music-accented experience. In a few decades, future generations will envy us that we could see it in the cinema and finally appreciate it. (04/12/2007)

Questionable in every possible direction. At its core, The Fountain can be a simple and straightforward film, it doesn't need any hidden and shocking twist, but getting through its hard and intellectually difficult shell was beyond my abilities. Rachel Weisz is only here for decoration and all the acting skills are demonstrated solely by Hugh Jackman, who delivers the best performance of his career so far. Throughout the entire 96 minutes, he is literally filled with emotions, something that cannot be said about the film. Touching and personal passages are followed by heavily uninteresting and deafening “WTF” scenes, during which you can hardly believe what is actually happening. In terms of visuals, it’s definitely immensely interesting, but plot-wise it’s quite confusing (the question is whether intentionally), and in terms of whether the film expresses something, it’s hard to describe. I am of the opinion that Aronofsky has prepared a confusing mix of philosophizing, an equation without a precise result, letting the viewers, take whatever they deem appropriate. Some are enthusiastic about the outcome, others disappointed. (01/28/2008)