The Fountain

moultanomoultano Creator of ns_shiva. Join Date: 2002-12-14 Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
<div class="IPBDescription">amazing movie.</div>Just saw it last night, and I think it was one of the most moving films I've ever seen. If you don't like abstract film then you probably won't like it, It's very abstract and impressionistic, but it has incredibly powerful acting, and I don't think I've been this affected by a movie since I saw Requiem for a Dream for the first time.

<a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/thefountain/trailer1/" target="_blank">http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/thefountain/trailer1/</a>

Comments

  • puzlpuzl The Old Firm Join Date: 2003-02-26 Member: 14029Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
    edited December 2006
    I presume you are aware that Darren Aronofsky directed both "Requiem for a Dream", and "The Fountain".
    I can't wait to see this new movie from the director I consider to be among the greatest in recent years. Pi is also another flick well worth checking out, if nothing else, but for it's soundtrack.

    It won't hit the cinema here until late January next year, so I'll just have to wait patiently until then.

    PS: I finally saw "A Scanner Darkly" today and I was very impressed. Check it out. It's from the guy who made 'Fast Food Nation', but Linklater has made some really impressive stuff too, including "A Scanner Darkly" and "Waking Life".
  • LanfearLanfear Join Date: 2006-11-15 Member: 58615Members
    I thought "A Scanner Darkly" was quite good. I haven't seen 'Requiem for a Dream' nor 'The Fountain'.
  • RevlicRevlic Join Date: 2006-11-04 Member: 58367Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1584137:date=Dec 4 2006, 06:56 PM:name=Lanfear)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Lanfear @ Dec 4 2006, 06:56 PM) [snapback]1584137[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    I thought "A Scanner Darkly" was quite good. I haven't seen 'Requiem for a Dream' nor 'The Fountain'.
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    A Scanner Darkly had it's ups and downs. But mostly downs. I loved the scene with the police officer.
  • moultanomoultano Creator of ns_shiva. Join Date: 2002-12-14 Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    I liked a scanner darkly, but I felt it should have been a longer movie. It needed a little more development I think, but the powerful moments in it were pretty amazing.

    Btw, the fountain also has amazing music. I've had it stuck in my head since I saw it, and I'm glad I do.
  • MerkabaMerkaba Digital Harmony Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 22Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester
    edited December 2006
    I liked A Scanner Darkly also. It did end before it felt like it had really begun, but I think that might even be intentional - it's a ponderous movie, quite funny in places and quite sad, but mostly very disorientating. I must watch it again some time.

    I'll look out for The Fountain - I loved Pi and Requiem For a Dream.
  • AllUrHiveRblong2usAllUrHiveRblong2us By Your Powers Combined... Join Date: 2002-12-20 Member: 11244Members
    edited December 2006
    Since apparently everyone here has seen A Scanner Darkly but me, tell me, will I like this movie if I enjoyed the book? Phillip K ###### (oh come on! It's the guy's freakin name!) is one of my favorite authors, and Scanner Darkly is probably his best book if you ask me, so I have been torn about whather I should actually see this. His books have a history of being totally mangled when turned into movies, and I'm hoping this isn't going to be another of the same.
  • MerkabaMerkaba Digital Harmony Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 22Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester
    I unfortunately have not read that book so I cannot say. I also love his novels though! And I also agree that the word censor is a little too harsh sometimes, but nevermind eh <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
  • tankefugltankefugl One Script To Rule Them All... Trondheim, Norway Join Date: 2002-11-14 Member: 8641Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    I will see this one! Requiem for a dream and Pi are both movies I enjoyed a lot, so I'm looking forward to this.
  • moultanomoultano Creator of ns_shiva. Join Date: 2002-12-14 Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    I posted a more thorough review of it on my blog.

    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You aren't likely to hear about The Fountain. It's not a very accessible film. Even most critics have been bewildered by it. I saw it last night however, and it has affected me and stayed with me more than any film I've seen since "Requiem for a Dream."

    There are three parallel stories in the film. The central story involves a modern day couple, Tom and Izzie, played by Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. Izzi is dying of a brain tumor, and Tom is a neuroscientist desperately trying to save her life. Izzi is writing a novel called "The Fountain" about a conquistador that goes to South America to search for the Tree of Life, and this novel becomes the second story. The third story takes place at some point in the distant future. In it Tom hurtles through space towards a golden nebula inside of a transparent sphere. The first two stories take the form of his memories as he waits to arrive at his destination accompanied by a giant tree.

    The acting in the movie is nothing short of incredible. Tom's grief is palpable, alternately ferocious and debilitating, and Izzi's shift from fear to acceptance of her imminent death is touching in contrast. Essentially, however, the movie is about images and themes: The ways we view death, the lengths we'll go to to prevent it, the way that coming to terms with the death of a loved one requires you to accept your own mortality, the conflict between working to save someone and being with them for their remaining time, and what grace, if any, there is after death. The images in the film are equally riveting: The sunlit tree of life at the summit of a Mayan temple, silhoetted thai chi in front of a field of stars, and many others. The music fits the mood and subject matter perfectly, a collaboration between the Kronos Quartet and Mogwai.

    The connections between plots reveal themselves gradually, many parallel images create a sort of echoing continuity, and only at the end of the film is there a clear causal link between the stories. Most of the movie is as bleak and desperate as its images are beautiful. Ultimately however, the characters grow to accept and understand their mortality, and in a triumphant finale achieve what little material transcendence is possible in a physical world. It's not an easy movie, and you might not like it, but I guarantee you'll remember it long after you forget every other movie you've seen this year.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
  • DiscoZombieDiscoZombie Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
    I had been reading reviews and most critics didn't like it so I didn't plan to go... but from what you guys are saying, I'm thinking I should give it a look
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    Bah, none of the critics liked the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie either. What do critics know.
  • moultanomoultano Creator of ns_shiva. Join Date: 2002-12-14 Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    This is definitely a love it or hate it sort of movie, I think largely dependent on whether you get into it or keep a bit of incredulous distance.
  • ubermenschubermensch Join Date: 2002-12-31 Member: 11692Banned
    <!--quoteo(post=1584479:date=Dec 5 2006, 11:50 AM:name=TychoCelchuuu)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TychoCelchuuu @ Dec 5 2006, 11:50 AM) [snapback]1584479[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Bah, none of the critics liked the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie either. What do critics know.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Very good example of critics' panning of excellent abstract/impressionistic films -_-
  • GeminosityGeminosity :3 Join Date: 2003-09-08 Member: 20667Members
    ooh! looks kinda cool :D

    On a seperate note, while Requiem for a Dream was a good film it had such a horrible ending I sometimes wonder if it'd been better that I never saw it at all :s
    And by horrible I mean really nasty, not badly done.
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1584532:date=Dec 5 2006, 11:37 AM:name=ubermensch)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ubermensch @ Dec 5 2006, 11:37 AM) [snapback]1584532[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Very good example of critics' panning of excellent abstract/impressionistic films -_-
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    Exactly! Jack Sparrow represented the id, while Davey Jones was the ego and Orlando Bloom was the eyecandy.
  • GeminosityGeminosity :3 Join Date: 2003-09-08 Member: 20667Members
    edited December 2006
    really? I thought Jack Sparrow represented the awesome <b>and</b> the eyecandy? :3
  • AllUrHiveRblong2usAllUrHiveRblong2us By Your Powers Combined... Join Date: 2002-12-20 Member: 11244Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1584542:date=Dec 5 2006, 03:04 PM:name=TychoCelchuuu)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TychoCelchuuu @ Dec 5 2006, 03:04 PM) [snapback]1584542[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Exactly! Jack Sparrow represented the id, while Davey Jones was the ego and Orlando Bloom was the eyecandy.
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    I feel that you're looking at the movie in too much of a Fruedian sense. I myself felt the characters were meant to be translated more literally, with Depp's character meant as a reflection of the bad actor contained inside all of us, while Orlando Bloom's character provides more subtle conflict, as his character was merely an excuse to watch Bloom come to terms with the fact that every role he is going to play for the rest of his career will have more homosexual undertones than if Alan Cummings starred alongside Andy ###### in a remake of Thelma And Luise. Also, Keira Knightley provides boobs.
  • moultanomoultano Creator of ns_shiva. Join Date: 2002-12-14 Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    <!--quoteo(post=1584556:date=Dec 5 2006, 04:57 PM:name=AllUrHiveRblong2us)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AllUrHiveRblong2us @ Dec 5 2006, 04:57 PM) [snapback]1584556[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->... Also, Keira Knightley provides boobs.
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    I was with you up 'til there, but <i>that's</i> just nonsense. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
  • KhaimKhaim Join Date: 2002-06-28 Member: 841Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1584492:date=Dec 5 2006, 12:19 PM:name=moultano)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(moultano @ Dec 5 2006, 12:19 PM) [snapback]1584492[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    This is definitely a love it or hate it sort of movie, I think largely dependent on whether you get into it or keep a bit of incredulous distance.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    Agreed, I happen to fall in the second of these two catagories finding most of the movie over-the-top acting wise, but I also am surrounded most of the time by highly cynical people. So this movie came off as pretty overly metaphorical in many cases and far too abstract, with the non-abstract sections being extremely heavily acted drama-wise. Overall making me say this: I wish I had my two hours back. But! For those of you interested in seeing a very abstract, heavy drama, metaphorical movie: Go see it! I'm sure it'll float your boat like a sea of peanut-butter. o_O
  • puzlpuzl The Old Firm Join Date: 2003-02-26 Member: 14029Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
    I finally got to see this movie last night and I really enjoyed it. Hugh Jackman was surprisingly good and Rachel Weiss was a little disappointing ( not that I expected a whole lot from her ). I'm still trying to figure out exactly what the movie meant, and how the three different timelines relate to each other. I'm starting to think that the future timeline is actually real, though I'm not sure. I think the clues are in the portions of the movie that get repeated. Anyone else got some thoughts or explanations?
  • ChimpZealotChimpZealot The Elite Demo Detective Join Date: 2002-11-30 Member: 10315Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation
    I haven't seen the movie, but I read the graphic novel (which was written by Aronofsky) and I wasn't very impressed. Maybe that will change once I see the movie.
  • MalevolentMalevolent Join Date: 2003-08-03 Member: 18842Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1622609:date=Apr 23 2007, 04:32 PM:name=ChimpZealot)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ChimpZealot @ Apr 23 2007, 04:32 PM) [snapback]1622609[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    I haven't seen the movie, but I read the graphic novel (which was written by Aronofsky) and I wasn't very impressed. Maybe that will change once I see the movie.
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    Yeah it probably will change your opinion. Even if you don't like the ideas the film presents, there is no way you can't appreciate the awesome imagery throughout the film.
  • OrganoXOrganoX Join Date: 2004-03-21 Member: 27473Members
    edited April 2007
    <!--quoteo(post=1622586:date=Apr 23 2007, 06:34 PM:name=puzl)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(puzl @ Apr 23 2007, 06:34 PM) [snapback]1622586[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    I finally got to see this movie last night and I really enjoyed it. Hugh Jackman was surprisingly good and Rachel Weiss was a little disappointing ( not that I expected a whole lot from her ). I'm still trying to figure out exactly what the movie meant, and how the three different timelines relate to each other. I'm starting to think that the future timeline is actually real, though I'm not sure. I think the clues are in the portions of the movie that get repeated. Anyone else got some thoughts or explanations?
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I LOVE the movie!
    Very beautiful and touching film, the way i like it!


    <b> <u>WARNING! SPOILER! </u></b>
    Here is my thoughts:

    Tom Verde said once in the movie; "Death is a disease, it's like any other. And there's a cure. A cure - and I will find it."
    I think Tom have found a way to get pass death, and live forever. The movies tag line "What if you could live forever?".
    The tree makes him immortal, he lived so long that the earth doesn't exist anymore.
    When Izzi Creo went out and looked at the stars, she explained how stars get born, live and dies.
    That explains why Tom are in the shell, because the earth doesn't exist like i said.
    As you can see the tattoo's on his arm, every line is a year.
    And its far more than 500 lines, that means he lived more than 500 years in that shell with the tree.
    Tom must have thought that if the tree lives, he can revive Izzi Creo.
    But sadly, even the tree itself died at the end.
    Izzi wrote the book because she wants Tom to let it go and live a life without thinking of her.
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