The Fountain

Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain is a rather unusual film. It floats between romance and philosophical drama yet it stays focused on themes of life and death. And knowing Aronofsky, I could sense he could handle this easily.

I mean, he made the most hideous depiction of substance abuse in the form of Requiem for a Dream. And The Wrestler and Black Swan shows how far a person can push themselves physically. If anyone could make a philosophical art film about life and death, it would be Aronofsky.

Starring in The Fountain are Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, both ideal for their several roles. However, this show belongs to Jackman. To think he was known for his action movie roles then. This is proof that he's a legit actor and will be getting more serious roles in the near future. (Well, this, The Prestige and more recently Les Miserables.)

Of course, I must talk about Clint Mansell's score. When paired with a scene of Jackman's character enduring absolute heartbreak, it rises the film to a new level. Also, Matthew Libatique's cinematography is equally gorgeous. (The best feature? Weisz being captured in an ethereal white light.)

The Fountain, as mentioned above, is a very gorgeous film. The story loses something in certain scenes but both Aronofsky and Jackman keep the film afloat for a majority of the time. It's not the best of the Aronofsky films I've seen but it's definitely the most intriguing of them all.

My Rating: ****1/2

Black Swan

Catching up on the classics is hard enough. Catching up on new releases is more of a challenge.

Ballet dancer Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is given the lead role in Swan Lake, but she finds herself competing against new ballerina Lily (Mila Kunis) to keep the role.

I don't know why, but I kept thinking of Psycho as I was watching Black Swan. Not for the psychological thriller stuff, but more so for how similar Nina and Norman are. Both are a little on the mentally unhinged side and both have (ahem) "maternal issues". Once you think that over, it's true.

My God, Aronofsky. You are definitely making a name for yourself in Hollywood. Same goes to Portman. I think a lot of people will be pretty pissed off if she doesn't win the Oscar for her haunting work. Kunis shows really strong work as well (a far cry from That '70s Show and Family Guy, don't you think?). This didn't floor me as much as Requiem for a Dream did, but "oh my God" kept running through my mind. I have three words to describe the ending: out of nowhere. And I love it.

My Rating: *****

Requiem for a Dream

After seeing The Wrestler, I wanted to see what else Darren Aronofsky had to offer. That was found in his most prolific (and disturbing) work Requiem for a Dream.

Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) is a lonely TV-obsessed widow who has recently started taking diet pills. Her son Harry (Jared Leto) and his friend Tyrone Love (Marlon Wayans) make a living by selling heroin. Harry's girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) is a suffering cocaine addict. Their lives are connected through addictions and downward spirals.

My God. The climax of Requiem for a Dream had me moved to tears, something that never happens when I watch a movie. I knew that Aronofsky can get intense with his movies just from seeing The Wrestler. Requiem for a Dream practically puts the intensity of The Wrestler to shame. I don't know what's more of an insult: Burstyn not winning the Oscar or Burstyn being the only thing that got Requiem for a Dream Oscar recognition. There are so many things from the movie that should have gotten some recognition but didn't. Jay Rabinowitz's editing, Clint Mansell's score, Aronofsky's directing, the screenplay by Aronofsky and Hubert Selby, Jr. (whose novel the movie is based on), all of these got no love from Oscar. Requiem for a Dream has been dubbed as a movie you can't watch twice. Who knows? I, for one, might watch it again.

My Rating: *****

The Wrestler

Seeing actors make a Hollywood comeback is always impressive (Robert Downey, Jr., Marlon Brando). One of the most recent and stunning is Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler.

Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Rourke) is a wrestler who was an icon in the 1980's that has burned out. After a charity match, he suffers a heart attack. He's told the stress of wrestling could kill him, so he retires. But he musts resist temptation of returning to the ring.

Remember the Oscar race when Rourke was up for Best Actor? He was one of the main frontrunners, but his main competition was Sean Penn. You gotta admit it was hard to predict which of the two would win (Penn ended up winning). Both gave great performances, but I can't chose which one is better.

It's funny once you think of it. Back in the 1980's, Rourke was dubbed "the next Brando". The next decade he would have his career dwindle and have his personal life be more exposed, much like Brando. Then the decade after that, Rourke would make the biggest comeback since Brando in The Godfather.

Along with Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood give great performances. Darren Aronofsky directs the grittiest sports movie since Raging Bull. The movie is raw and edgy, but not for the squeamish (well, what do you expect from the director of Requiem for a Dream?). Hands down, one of the best movies of the last decade.

My Rating: *****