I had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of The Fountain. And although I was disappointed when so many of the reviews were lukewarm, I was determined to see the movie anyway. And I’m glad I did. I loved every minute of it. But I will admit, this is not a movie for everyone. This is a movie for people who love movies and the art of moviemaking.

The Fountain can best be compared to a foreign art film. Its love story, at the root level, is simple (I will not say what it is; it’s best to discover it as you go along), but many of the concepts used for telling the story are not for everyone. I’m talking about time sequences that are non-linear, story within story, spiritual thoughts represented physically, and seemingly insignificant references to objects and events that eventually later on we find are part of the story. Most of the movie is shot with dark and muted colors with occasional bursts of light, which properly reflects the mood of the two main characters.

If you like being entertained for 100 minutes and not have to think about it further, skip this movie. If, on the other hand, you trust a terrific scriptwriter and director to lead you in many different directions over a confusing but creative pathway, sure that he will not lead you ashtray and will make all the pieces fit in the end, and turns every scene into a painting and every close up into a portrait, see this movie. The main cast players -- Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, and Ellen Burstyn -- are terrific and the sound track is simply remarkable.