"The Fountain" (2006)

I took a study break to catch the latest flick from Darren Aronofsky - "The Fountain".

This is one of those movies that you'll either really like or will hate with every fiber of your being. I liked it a whole lot.

The movie is pretty 'artsy' for mainstream theaters. Deals with the inevitable nature of human mortality. And does so in an extremely beautiful yet entirely ambiguous way. The central plot of this movie is so simple one almost wonders how it could carry a feature length film. It's in the way Aronosky tells this simple tale that really makes this movie one of the better works of cinematic art I've seen in a long while. Aronofsky tells the tale with an amazing and daring narrative structure that seems confusing at first but then becomes clear as the story progresses.

The best thing about "The Fountain" is that the moral of the story is open to about ten different interpretations. Which can be maddening for those who are looknig for a A+B=C plot. But if your willing to go with the flow "The Fountain" offers all kinds of audience participation.

This movie left me thinking about it for hours afterwards. Playing out the possible meaning of what Aronofsky so boldy put on the screen. The movie can play out as extremely depressing or ultimately uplifting depending on your personal world-view. How you see the movie could also just as easily rely on how your day was going before watching it. Which is ambiguous but in a really good way (trust me).

I felt the movie ended on a positive note, while Greta felt it was a downer. Sitting here now, I'm leaning towards the downer interpretation of the ending, but I know the next time I see it my inner romantic will probably win out again.

I tried not to spoil anything in this short review. But if you go see "The Fountain" definitely email me with your thoughts on it. This flick is a fun one to talk about.

Originally posted on November 29, 2006 on Myspace.