Here's where I stand on top of the soapbox and insult anyone who rushed to see Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Wild Hogs, either Garfield movie, and any version of Rush Hour. But then I stop myself and remind you that own a copy of Judge Dredd and saw Pirates of the Caribbean 3 this past weekend. Yeah — I'm a pretentious hypocrite, eh? I am frustrated that the most successful films tend to be the least deserving (you know, if you are an adult) but I also acknowledge that most people go to see entertainment because they need a break from their shitty, tedious lives and who wants to go see Wolverine struggle with the lofty concepts of eternal life, reincarnation, Mayan religious codes, and the death of all that they love when their eight-hour day only saw them actually work for three, the utility bills are on the second wave of insistence and will be turning into FINAL NOTICEs any day now, and that fucker Bush is still in office (or that fucker Moore has another film out)?

I'd submit that that is exactly the reason to see The Fountain. In the Age of Cynics, the man who shows genuine sentiment is mocked. Yes, this film has a sentimental quality to it but unlike, say, the Robin Williams’ goo-fest What Dreams May Come (also about death and a man desperate to save his wife from it), The Fountain has a core of genuineness and earnest belief that is beautiful and moving. Not only is it visually gorgeous and symbolic, not only are both Jackman and Weisz wonderful and believable and heartbreaking, not only is it a smart film for smart people, it examines questions that are, in the end, vastly more important than your job, the bills, or even the state of the world.

The Fountain
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Screenplay: Darren Aronofsky
Featuring: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn