Movie Review: The Fountain

**Review contains SPOILERS**

This movie was not without its merits, mostly contained in its small observations and parallels.

I enjoyed the imagery of Izzi's hair paralleled with the hair on the tree.

• I liked the juxtaposition of a panicked and feared Tommy racing towards Dr. Lilly for a consoling hug, only to met by a congratulatory one (which was unfortunately followed by a horrible cliche--he found the cure...just a moment too late!).

• I liked Tommy's gesture of creating a band where his wedding ring was, and then Tom carving out rings on himself representing the years, just like a tree.

• I did love Tomas's fate, though the sight of foliage bursting out of him was also slightly comical.

I am unaware of any misfortune in director Darren Aronofsky's life, but this movie struck me as one that would have been made as catharsis after experiencing a tragedy.

This movie was not unfocused; rather, it was the opposite. It focused too much on mundane ideas, and the one "transcendent" one--that death brings life--was repeated enough that it became mundane. Aronofsky liked to show one particular vignette over and over: Izzi inviting Tommy out for a walk in the season's first snow. Yes, a small moment like this can show that Tommy is placing more importance on Izzi's cure than actually spending time with her, and then it's used as a moment of divergence. But when a scene is repeated, I want it to be interesting.

**END SPOILERS**

In fact, especially because the movie is set in three different time periods, I wanted the entire movie to be filled with more interesting scenes. Though Aronofsky's points get across, this movie did not take any uncoventional paths; there were few striking scenes, and most of them were at the end. No, simply making a movie non-linear does not cut it. No, visual beauty alone does not cut it.

To sum up: this movie bored me, and I only cared for the Tommy/Izzi relationship based on archetypes in my head (just as the idea of an orphan saddens me, so does the idea of a husband losing a wife), not the actual characters.

It's really quite interesting how the audience and critics have diverged on this one. Audience are scoring this movie at 7.5/10 on IMDB and 81% positive on Rotten Tomatoes; critics, however, are at 48% positive. This is one movie where I would have predicted the opposite.

Other notes: Dan liked it quite a bit. Also, it's easy to dismiss my point of view because I did not like Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream either, which comes across as heresy to his fans. I liked Pi, though, so I'm holding out hope for Flicker.