The Fountain: Life and Love, Forever?

At last -- I can cross The Fountain off the list of Films I Need To See. Since its release in 2006, this film has stalked me.

And yes, I have a tendency to draw media stalkers.

Novels, blogs, albums, films -- I am not safe from media. I run into reviews for The Fountain even now in 2009. I went through a phase where the movie channel seemed to have this movie on round-the-clock, yet it was always half over by the time I found it. Friends have mentioned it on a regular basis and even family members have seen it multiple times.

Yet, I never could cross paths with it.

Now, the wait is over. The end credits have rolled and I may strike it off the list.

***

What if you could live forever? What if your love could not? Through space and through time, one man embarks on a one-thousand-year odyssey to defy death and to save the life of his one love.

In the past, a conquistador sets out to the ancient lands of the Mayans to find the Tree of Life and save the Queen of Spain from a tragic end at the hands of the Grand Inquisitor.

In the present, a scientist struggles to unlock the healing properties of a plant found in South America before his wife dies from a brian tumor that is slowly snuffing out her life.

In the future, a space traveler carries an aged tree through the universe toward a dying star wrapped in a nebula, all in an attempt to find eternity with the ghost of his lover.

The sacrifices are great and it is difficult to find the success through the sorrow. Can death be defeated? Can our bonds exist without the flesh? Or can we return to the ones that matter most?

***

I know -- it's not the lightest material imaginable. I admit now, I didn't quite grasp the futuristic scenes. It went so far over my head, I think the stars could feel it. And the past segments felt underdeveloped to me. I wasn't sure how the Tree of Life could save the Queen or save Spain for that matter.

But the moments from the present were outstanding. I was always torn about Rachel Weisz. I mean, I'm not blind -- I know she's an attractive woman. I know there are numerous folks out there who would be shocked to hear about the former complacency I felt toward her.

Ah, but the key word here is "former." I, like Hugh Jackman, have been converted.

She was stunning. I can think of no other word to describe her throughout this film. I understand why all three of Hugh Jackman's incarnations would extend themselves for her, why they would seek her throughout one thousand years of human history.

If I could find that one person, I wouldn't doubt I would spend the rest of my lives seeking her out and fighting for her.

The Fountain has tapped into the melodramatic Moffatt this evening it would appear. Perhaps that's exactly what I was looking for at this moment, especially considering I have just started reading Neil Gaiman's Sandman series.

I never questioned Jackman's dedication to her and I could sense the same heartbreak his characters felt when their efforts failed. I could also understand their hollow sense of triumph as their missions were renewed. But wow -- Rachel Weisz. She inspires people to pursue her through time. I mean, if that's not Harem material, I am not fit to judge anymore.

I would recommend giving this film a whirl, but I warn you now -- get ready to fall HARD for Ms. Weisz. I don't think there's a way to lift yourself after this kind of fall, let me tell you.