REEL CRITICS:Soaked by confusing story line

“T he Fountain” is a metaphysical love story that seeks to transcend space, time and death. It centers on two star-crossed lovers whose ongoing relationship reaches across the centuries. Reincarnation, karma and time travel are major elements in this unconventional plot.

Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz are excellent as the man and woman whose enduring love strives to traverse the ages. They appear in continuously alternating scenes from their various lifetimes. Jackman is a Spanish conquistador in the 16th century, a veterinary surgeon in the present day and a Zen astronaut in the distant future. Weisz plays his very significant other through all these strange incarnations, including a stint as the lovely Queen Isabella. Hey, I told you it was an unconventional plot!

The cinematography, music and special effects in this film are a wonder to behold. The space scenes are mesmerizing and might even earn an Oscar nod for technical expertise. But in the end the screenplay fails to deliver on its great spiritual and science fiction premise. Fuzzy philosophy and pointless developments undermine the promising possibilities. Intriguing alternate realities are suggested but never reach a logical conclusion. This is a film with quality acting and production values that doesn’t know where it wants to go.

a foray into the fanciful

“Volver” means “to return,” and that is certainly true for its star. After a string of Hollywood misfires (“Sahara,” anyone?) she is back in her element in her native language in a film that won best actress prize for the female ensemble cast at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

As Raimunda, Cruz plays a woman beset by one crisis after another — her unemployed husband is murdered, her teenage daughter is molested, and a beloved aunt dies — all on the same day. Then her sister Sole (Lola Dueñas) starts to see the ghost of their dead mother (Carmen Maura). She is afraid until a friend (Blanca Portillo) tells her that the ghost also visited her aunt.

Almodóvar has given his characters many secrets but takes a long time to reveal them. “Volver’s” simplistic message seems to be that releasing these secrets and lies will enable these women to come back to life.

The story and actresses are colorful enough to keep you interested, even though some events strain credibility. They say that which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, but is it enough so that a tiny woman can hoist a man into a freezer all by herself?

There has been a lot of hype about a possible Oscar nomination for Cruz. While she’s very good at turning on the tears, I was expecting more of her. Perhaps those critics were more dazzled by decolletage than drama.

A return to roots, andPenélope Cruz plays a sexy, but poor mom in Pedro Almodóvar’s latest Spanish-language soap opera, “Volver.”