The Fountain

Second cousin to the heart string theory that is the Nines, the Fountain is Darren Aronofsky's implosively artistic romp through the realms of reincarnation and parallel lives. The film, like the Nines, is made up of three intimately tied tales about a man searching for a way to save the woman he loves.

Much has been booed and ballyhooed about the movie. The density of the themes, combined with a commitment to never come out and clearly explain what the hell is going on, have caused many a critic to call the film ridiculously pretentious, and I'll tell you what - it's hard to argue. Where most films assume too little of the audience, this film might assume too much. That fact invites intellectuals to take in multiple viewings, but the average audience member is going to scratch a hole in their head.

The point is - this movie requires some serious work from the audience. For some, that's going to taint their entertainment. For others, that's going to be the unadulterated appeal.

Let's get to the implicit praise.

The soundtrack, an enthralling collaboration between Clint Mansell and Kronos Quartet, is one of the more singularly moving fusions of electronic loops, "found sound", and orchestration. This is the soundscape of the mind, where glass shatters and oboes bellow beneath the thrill of experience.

The performances are uncomfortably moving. Ellen Burstyn is Oscar worthy as always. Rachel Weisz captivates as a terminally ill woman slowly losing her sense of touch (watch for when her husband realizes she can't feel how hot the bath water is - she'll break your heart). Hugh Jackman makes you believe love could take him across time and space (and depending on how you interpret the movie, maybe it does).

The special effects are worth the ticket price alone. Aronofsky decided to forego as much CGI as possible. Considering a third of the film takes place in outer space, he was asking the SFX department to fly without wings. Enter Peter Parks, who utilized macrophotographic techniques to capture images of deep-sea microorganisms and create what he calls the feeling of "looking at infinity." A mountain of a claim? And a mountain of an accomplishment. Parks' visual panorama depicts the ecstasy of outer space through gravitational effects, settlement, refractive indices, and all for under $140,000.

Less mainstream than the Nines, the Fountain is an ambitious, rewarding work, and perhaps too far ahead of its time. But then, this is the one movie (and when you watch it, you'll know what I mean) where that may well be it's most profound triumph.