Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants is a beautifully set 1930's drama based around a lush American circus.

   We are presented with Jacob (Robert Pattinson), a bright young man who is about to sit his last vetenary exam, when suddenly his parents die in a car crash and he loses everything and is left with nothing. On venturing out into the big wide world, he hitches a ride on a train which turns out to be a travelling circus. At first he finds menial work there, but when his vetenary skills are found out, he becomes more deeply involved, not only with the most beautiful and talented elephant (Rosie) but also with August (a superb Christoph Waltz) the charismatic but terrifying ring master, and even more so with his wife Marlena (Reese Witherspoon).

The reviews for this film have been average; not bad, but not overwhelmingingly good either. I think this is because although this film is a nice story, the set and themes could provide so much more. This could have been a film that deeply impacts you like Titanic does, or even The Notebook. But it doesn't. But you know what, I like nice stories. The circus setting with all the animals really is beautiful, it is shot extremely well, and is a pleasure to watch.

   And Christoph Waltz. Well, I just have to look at him and i shiver in terror. He will never be cast as anything other than the bad guy, some may say this is a bad thing, but why change something that's not broken? He's simply  brilliant as the dominating ring master, and i even felt a tiny bit sorry for him at times. Next we have Robert. Ahh. I actually think, as bad as you may say twilight is, he isn't a bad actor at all, and in this film he shows it. He maybe gets off to a slow start, but after a while he really seems to blend in with the scenery and the action, not in a way that you don't notice him, but in a way that works. My only vice with this movie, is the part of Malena. Although i think Witherspoon is very good, and does play the part well, i don't think she works well with Pattinson. It's not awful, I just think that she should be mothering him rather than having sex with him...

   It has been said in other reviews, but this film would lack a lot of charm if it wasn't for Rosie the elephant. She is simply stunning.

Lush, sweet, classy, just lacking chemistry between the two leads, however, Rosie the elephant makes this film more than watchable.
3 and a half / 5