Water for Elephants

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz, Paul Schneider, Jim Norton, Hal Holbrook, Mark Povinelli, Stephen Taylor
Directed by: Francis Lawrence
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Romance
2011

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A veterinary student (Robert Pattinson) joins the circus and falls in love with the boss's (Christoph Waltz) wife (Reese Witherspoon).

Review:

Tim: I was surprised at how much I liked Water for Elephants. No, I'm not suggesting this is a great movie,but it is a solidly made, entertaining, emotional, romantic movie. It's one of the better circus movies I have seen in a long, long time. While the film could have been better, it's certainly worth seeing. Romantic dramas aren't always this good.

I was impressed mostly with the execution of the story. There's not a whole lot new in the story- it's basically your classic love triangle. However, it's set against the awe-inspiring, magical feeling of the circus. I love how the film started out- in modern times, before reflecting back to memories of a time long ago, when the circus coming to town was about the most exciting thing to ever happen. However, the movie wasn't content to simply let the magic of the circus be the focal point. Instead, we swoop in behind the scenes to see what makes the circus tick. And, we find out the seedy, corrupt truth that lies at the center of this circus. It's a pretty impressive backdrop for this love story to take place. That is probably my favorite aspect of the movie- the circus and the look at what it takes to pull off the greatest show on earth.

However, the love triangle is pretty good, too. It isn't revolutionary, but it's extremely well executed. Robert Pattinson does mostly good work in the lead role. I still don't think he is a very talented actor, but he did enough to make us identify with his character and root for him. I have to point out that there were multiple moments in the film where I cringed watching Pattinson try to act. He too often slips into a wooden, forced performance that just makes him look silly. He had his moments, but he also had a number of scenes that I greatly disliked. Reese Witherspoon was an interesting casting choice to play opposite him. Witherspoon is just old enough and respected enough to pull off the role. She did a very good job in the film. I believed that she was with her husband, but I also believed when she started contemplating her feelings for Pattinson. She was very strong in the film.

However, I have to give the lion's share of the credit to Christoph Waltz. He took the character of August and made him fascinating. I believed he was a man capable of great kindness and generosity- a man needing a friend he could talk to. I also believed in a split second that he could snap and be capable of great cruelty. This required a strong peformance of an actor willing to embrace the complexity of the character and make both sides appear realistic. Waltz pulls this off. He is the turbulent force at the center of the movie that keeps everything churning around. He makes this movie good.

I really think director Francis Lawrence has a knack for making interesting films. I thought he did very good work with Constantine, and I enjoyed I Am Legend. Here, he broadens his scope with a different kind of film, but still tells his story with power and heart. While this movie is flawed (Pattinson's occasional bad acting is only one example), it's still enjoyable more often than not. This is a movie that I didn't really expect to like much. However, Water for Elephants surprised me. I thought it was a good movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Twilight, Walk the Line, The Greatest Show on Earth, Constantine, I Am Legend