The Fountain's journey to the screen has been almost as arduous as its hero's quest for immortality.

Darren Aronofsky's keenly anticipated follow-up to the brilliant ode to addiction Requiem For A Dream was originally budgeted at $75m with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in the lead roles. Then Pitt walked.

Four years later and at half the cost, the time-tripping love story arrives with Hugh Jackman filling Brad's brogues as Thomas Creo, a man existing in three time periods.

In the present, Tommy is an oncologist frantically trying to find a cure for his cancer-stricken wife Izzi (Aronofsky's real-life partner Weisz - an astute piece of cost-cutting).

Izzi is writing a book about Tomas, a 16th century conquistador sent by his beloved Queen Isabelle to find the legendary Tree of Life at the heart of the Mayan civilisation.

How this will free Spain of the Inquisition is anybody's guess. But the mystery is as nothing compared to what's going on a millennium later as Tom and the Tree of Life float towards a dying star at the end of the universe. In a giant bubble.

Confused? You will be. Aronofsky's kaleidoscope of images and ideas look and sound great (courtesy of cinematographer Matthew Libatique making a silk purse out of a budgetary sow's ear's and another wonderful score from Clint Mansell).

But it's way too profound for mere mortals. (Except the bit where Izzi breathes "Death as an act of creation" while standing beneath a huge sign saying 'Divine Words'.)

Some may even regard it as a fountain of codswallop.

A myriad tear-streaked close-ups leave no doubt as to the commitment of Jackman and Weisz - he grimly resolute throughout (and occasionally beardy and bald); she ethereal and graceful as the love of his lives.

Other roles are inconsequential, with Requiem dreamgirl Ellen Burstyn dropping in as Jackman's fellow scientist as a favour for her last Oscar nomination.

Like the last 15 minutes of Spielberg's AI, The Fountain aims to enlighten with its musings on love, death and rebirth but ultimately only succeeds in getting lost up its own cosmic wazoo.

Elliott Noble