Hugh Jackman’s forgotten 00s epic The Fountain hailed as ‘simply breathtaking’ after finding new home

Hugh Jackman has starred in dozens of blockbusters hits, from the X-Men franchise to The Greatest Showman, but the actor also has plenty of other forgotten films.

One of these is 2006’s The Fountain, in which the Australian actor starred as three characters in the film, which spanned from the 16th century to the space age. Three separate narratives threads are told in the film, which features Hugh’s characters attempting to find the secret to eternal life.

The synopsis for the film reads: “A man travels through time on a quest for immortality and to save the woman he loves. As a 16th-century conquistador, Tomas searches for the legendary Fountain of Youth. As a present-day scientist, he desperately struggles to cure the cancer that is killing his wife. Finally, as a 26th-century astronaut in deep space, Tom begins to grasp the mysteries of life, love and death.”

Despite the film only being known to some of Hugh’s biggest fans, it has recently arrived on Amazon Prime, making it the perfect weekend watch. The actor has previously spoken about how many fans love the film, and speaking of these interactions with FirstNet.com, he said: “The people who love it, love it deeply and really get a lot out of it, and when they talk to me, usually they are the kind of people who don’t want to come up and say anything.

“It’s generally the kind of person who is like, ‘I don’t want to bother you, but I’m sorry, I have to say that…’ And they do. I always like it when people stop me for that, because I can tell usually, generally, they are a little embarrassed to come up, but they feel like they just need to say … And they usually do it in a way of, ‘I just want to say thank you to you and Darren [Aronofsky] for making the movie.’“

Who stars in The Fountain?

Hugh wasn’t the only actor playing multiples roles in the film, as Rachel Weisz (Vladimir) also pulls off the feat, playing Isabella I of Castile in the portions of the movie set in the 16th century, and Izzi Creo, the wife of Dr. Tommy Creo, who is dying from cancer.

Also in the film are Ellen Burstyn (The Exorcist), Stephen McHattie (Cold Squad), Mark Margolis (Breaking Bad) and Cliff Curtis (Once Were Warriors).

The Fountain’s reception

Although it holds a special place in the hearts of many, the film received a mixed response. It only holds a 52% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Its consensus reads: “The Fountain — a movie about metaphysics, universal patterns, Biblical symbolism, and boundless love spread across one thousand years — is visually rich but suffers from its own unfocused ambitions.“

However, one viewer enthused: “Fantastic in every sense. This film is indeed poetry, and a beautiful testament to love and the cycle of life, and the impermanence of death. Wow. The script is tight, and the non-linear presentation works very well. The scene compositions were exquisite.”

© Alamy Stock Photo

A second penned: “The visuals are simply breathtaking, and the special effects are phenomenal. The use of different camera angles is particularly excellent as it gives the viewer (well at least me) the feel of the moving time and space.”

Meanwhile, a third said: “In performances that can only be described as exquisite, Jackman and Weisz assist their director in opening up this knotty story through their soulful and romantic interpretations of desperation and peace.”

© Alamy Stock Photo

However, in a one-star review for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw opined: “There is a strange deadness in the film, together with a callow self-importance and self-pity which become more stultifying with every minute that passes, factors which are actually made worse by the obvious competence of everyone concerned: so much technical élan is being expended on this narcissistic and flimsy stuff.”