Disney+ has long had the habit of adding several catalog movies to the platform on Fridays. Not every week there are titles that are worth highlighting, but on this occasion it has caught my attention that in the end we are going to have ‘The Source of Life’ available there on streaming, surely the most divisive film of Darren Aronofsky. And yes I am aware that he is also the author of ‘Mother!’
A much-loved project that almost collapsed
Released in 2006, ‘The source of life’ was a project very dear to Aronofsky that was about to collapse because of Brad Pitt. The reason? The actor was scheduled to lead the cast, but he backed out at the last minute, went to make ‘Troy’ and the film was about to collapse. After making several changes to the script, cutting its budget in half -from 70 million dollars to 35- and changing the protagonists -some dedicated Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz give themselves body and soul-, it became the director’s first work since he dazzled the public with ‘Réquiem por un sueño’.
The truth is that it is very difficult to describe ‘The source of life’ without telling more about what happens in it, since Aronofsky mixes here, among other elements, science fiction, metaphysics, fantasy, romance, epic, history and drama to shape a film that is not for all tastes. Some adore it and come to consider it a masterpiece, but others ended up so desperate with it that they do not hesitate to classify it as the worst film by its director. For my part, I find myself somewhere in the middle, since I appreciate her ambition and the enormous display of Aronofsky, but when it comes down to it, I can’t connect with her, something quite important in a film in which the emotional is at the center. center of the story.
‘The fountain of life’ was a resounding commercial failure at the time of its release, as it had a worldwide revenue of just $16 million. Releasing it in the US over Thanksgiving proved to be a mistake, to the point where it barely cracked the Top 10. The fact that the critics were also very divided – it only has a 52% positive rating on RottenTomatoes, while on Metacritic it settles for an average score of 51 out of 100- it didn’t help either.
It is usually said in all cases, but The best thing is to see it for yourself and draw your own conclusionsIn the best of cases, you can find a fascinating work that will leave an indelible mark on you, and in the worst, you will have to admit that you have at least seen something with its own identity and that you do not hesitate to fully explore what it proposes.
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