The Fountain and Deja Vu

Deja Vu (4/5)

Deja Vu is how the French described the sensation of seeing or experiencing something you feel you’ve already seen or experienced before. Movies have created all sorts of mystical contexts or explanations for it (one of my particular favorites came from The Matrix) but Tony Scott’s latest offering has a new take on the concept.

For his new film he tosses in a heavy dose of sci-fi to give the phenomenon of Deja Vu an intriguing techno-edge. There’s also plenty of good humor and a twist of romance, but make no mistake: it’s first and foremost an action thriller and Scott, as usual, delivers.

It’s Fat Tuesday in post-Katrina New Orleans and people are out in full force to have a good time. A riverboat ferry chock full with hundreds of celebratory Navy sailors and their families leaves the dock, heading down the mighty Mississippi en route to the bash of a lifetime. Not long after getting underway the boat erupts in a massive explosion, killing most on board and re-igniting in its wake a nation’s fears about terrorism in the homeland.

Enter ATF agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington), one of many assigned to find the people responsible for the blast. Despite the chaos and emotion swirling around him, he coolly sets about the task of picking up a trail of clues. There’s not much of significance until the body of a beautiful woman, Claire Kuchever (Paula Patton), washes up on shore.

Though she’s badly burned, evidence suggests it wasn’t from the bomb. Convinced that her mysterious murder is tied to the bombing (and finding himself somewhat smitten with the tenderness in her deceased face), Carlin sets out to solve her death, expecting to find his bomber at the end of the same trail.

Carlin’s not long into the hunt before an FBI Agent (Val Kilmer) approaches and conscripts him into a special investigative team. Agent Pryzwarra and his crew have developed a scientific tool that lets them see into the past. Not just anytime , but exactly four days and six hours into before. “It’s a steady stream from the past,” Pryzwarra explains, “there is no rewind.” The government sends this special technology to help investigate major crimes. They need Carlin’s expertise and keen eye to help them avoid missing any important details as they try to piece together the facts by watching past events unfold before them.

Read more at Cinemablend

The Fountain (4.5/5)

Darren Aronofsky is not what you could consider a mainstream director. His movies are visually stunning, intellectually and emotionally challenging, and generally hated by the audience. It takes dedication to make it all the way through an Aronofsky film, something few movie-goers are willing to do.

His latest offering, The Fountain, isn’t any different in that respect, but if you grant Mr. Aronofsky the luxury of your full attention and bring a little something of yourself to the watching, there’s a good chance you’ll be rewarded for your effort.

The premise behind the story is painfully simple: a man’s struggle to save the woman he loves from dying. That premise is where the simplicity ends and exploration begins. His quest is fractured into three interwoven tales: three men’s journeys representing one man’s pursuit.

Are you confused already? Get used to the sensation. Aronofsky doesn’t slow down for the sake of those unable to keep up. Tomas, a 16th century conquistador, is seeking the fabled Fountain of Youth to save the life of Spain’s Queen Isabel who risks death at the hands of a merciless Inquisition. Tommy, a 21st century medical researcher, is desperate to find a cure for the brain tumor which threatens the life of his wife, Izzy.

Tom, a 26th century explorer, is making a long and desperate journey, seeking to save what he believes to be the very essence of life itself. In the end all three are the same man, wrestling furiously to answer the same questions about life and love.

This kind of complicated, century spanning storytelling is a daunting task but Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz rise to the occasion with unexpected brilliance and a mesmerizing, refined simplicity. As the man and his beloved respectively, the two strike an amazing resonance with each and every scene. Jackman gives the performance of a lifetime, which is sort of a shame since so few people will likely be able to appreciate it. You’ve never seen him in a role like this before, and sadly, don’t expect to ever see it again. Not because he’s not capable, but because parts like this don’t come along every day.

Supposing, for a moment, that you don’t enjoy The Fountain’s plot or style of storytelling, at the very least you can look forward to an overwhelming and awe-inspiring visual experience. Aronofsky tells his tale as much in pictures and visions as he does in words and emotions. Every frame is a piece of art and every moment poetry for the eyes.

Especially stunning are elements that connect the three stories into one. Even if you argue that his script is muddled and in need of refinement, there’s no denying that visually his film is flawless.