Cruiz Dwyer

25 May 2012

Departing along gently...

Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson) has a bright future ahead of him:with the Great Depression ravaging through America he has the chance ata good job as a veterinarian and a stable life. This all changes whenhe discovers that his parents have been in a car accident and that heis illegible to own their house. He tries to renew his life's purposeand by chance comes across the circus troupe of the Bezeni Brotherswhere he meets the cruel owner August (Christoph Waltz) and dazzlingMarlene (Reese Witherspoon).Titanic on a train: you would be forgiven if this was your estimationof the film based on previews and for the most part you would be right.Based on the award-winning novel of the same name, Water for Elephantstells the story of a man who has to redirect his life after it isderailed from some unfortunate events. The story is told in a linearfashion and it is a pity that not more is made of the idea of realityvs. illusion which is a noticeable subject in the odd dialogueinterchange. While this concept has more in liking with who a characterreally is and what information they know but do not let on, the conceptis nevertheless never fully developed and ultimately explained by thecharacters themselves. Nevertheless, other themes present themselves inmore subtle and interesting ways such as the images of railroads andwater allowing the experience to not be all dictated. In the end, thefilm feels like a reworking of James Cameron's Titanic with a newsetting and a new cast, but it most likely will not have the samecultural impact.Romance becomes pivotal to the development of characters and therespective actors prove capable. Robert Pattinson will obviously be thecentre of talk for the film and he does well for himself here. If youdid not feel that Remember Me was a step in the right direction from aTwilight-esque future, then this film will surely give you theimpression that Pattinson at least has the potential to mature hisacting in a commendable manner. Witherspoon does an adequate job in herportrayal of Marlene and wriggles in workable chemistry between herselfand Pattinson, but ultimately she does little to truly shine beyond hermale counterparts. But experience is what steals the show with Waltzexemplifying a character who can pull you in with his charisma andidealistic hopes but who can also repulse you with his cruelty. Waltzis indeed the strongest link in the acting department but do not lethis performance undermine the rest of the cast, especially thesupporting roles who help create a holistically believable set ofcharacters.All of this is strengthened by some decent costume design and filmdirection which brings every scene to life gracefully. There is somequestionable CGI use for animals towards the end and the environmentdoes not get quite the showing it could but the film feels balanced andadmirable in portrayal of one man's journey of self-discovery.Sex and nudity are, at most, hinted at and language is mild at best.There is some violence mostly in the regard of fist fighting but alsothe rare off-screen violence towards an animal.As mentioned earlier, Titanic on a train could very well be an aptexplanation of the film. There is thankfully enough substance to allowthe story to craft its own image but only just. This coupled with someslight CGI mishap and a narrative that does not always allow one toponder on certain ideas, are not enough to truly hurt the overallquality. The story is lovely; the acting is strong; and the filming isdelicate in what it offers. It may not be the Titanic of the time, butit is hardly a bumpy ride either.

kpluvszmonkeysz

24 May 2012

Movie was Good but Book was better By far

I read the book long before the movie came out.And i will honestly tell you that the movie was fantastic.I really did enjoy it & it did tell the story line pretty well. Theonly thing i didn't like was how the movie skipped a very importantpart in the beginning where it was Jacob in the nursing home talkingabout his life now and his age.I just wish they included that part but thats how Hollywood is i guess.But i do think that it was a great movie and followed pretty closely tothe book. Another part they forgot to include is when Marlena comes toJacob after they spend the night in the hotel and tells him shespregnant.

22 May 2012

Praise for Water for Elephants.

This review is from: Water for Elephants (+ Digital Copy) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) This was a wonderful movie, my husband and I both read the book and loved it. The movie stayed pretty close to the story. Reese and Robert were great in this film.

Evilous

22 May 2012

Amazing

Okay so I will admit that I am a sucker for movies with great trailers that capture you. I saw multiple for this movie and wanted to see it from them and was not disappointed. I had also heard good things about the book and own it just have not gotten around to reading it just yet but this movie has bumped it to the top of my list.First the story was good and easy to follow, there wasn't a bunch of stuff added in just to give it a wow effect. The story was entertaining, the life on the move, a circus back in 1931...wow. Working your tail off each and every day trying to not be red lighted. Unsure about the boss, he can be kind but with fits of rage. The cast does an amazing job, Robert does well and his features go with the time slot so easily, his delievery was very heartfelt and i felt as though Merlana (Reese) and he had great chemistry contrary to some reviews i read. Its there from the first moment but given the time this is set in her trying to fight it and be a good wife are fitting. The visuals of the circus itself were spectacular, I haven't been to a circus for many years but you just don't see them like you used to. Now it's about visuals, not the real simplicity of the orginal. The animals, the acrobats, everything was beautiful. Overall I very much enjoyed the movie and fell as though everyone gave amazing preformanaces in a classic tale of love and obsticles, and lets face it everyone wanted to run away to the circus at least once in your life...now you see what it might have been like.

21 May 2012

LOVE TRULY DOES CONCUR ALL.........

This review is from: Water For Elephants (Amazon Instant Video) "WATER for ELEPHANTS" starring the beautiful Rob Pattinson as young Cornell vet student Jabob, Reese Whiterspoon as campy gorgeous Marlena, Christopher Waltz as August, Marlena's evil husband/circus owner/ringmaster and veteran actor Hal Hollbrook as old Jacob. I must also mention the centerpiece a top the big top, gentle giant herself, TAI the elephant."WATER for ELEPHANTS" envelops us with warm fuzzies instantly when old Jacob starts to recall poignant memories of the life he led with a famous circus many years ago.We suddenly find ourselves in a warm bright cheery kitchen. The Jankowski family is preparing for the day. Young Jacob grabs a piece of toast in a rush on his way out the door! He's full of exuberance excitement and the promise of a wonderful future ahead of him. We soon come to realize that this homey atmosphere is in stark contrast to the reality of this depression era drama.Jacob is in the middle of finals when he is called out of class and given shockingly terrible news. And thus through a series of tragic, unforeseen events...Jacob's entire world is shattered. His existence turned upside down and life as he knows it is dramatically altered in a blink of the eye. He is suddenly thrust into a scary world of the unknown and we find ourselves joining him on his journey of discovery.Poor innocent Jacob jumps aboard a moving train one dark dreary night, dropping his only suitcase full of belongings. The train just happens to belong to a traveling circus. After Jacob makes a diagnoses that Marlena's prize horse must be put down, he eventually finds himself hired on as the official circus veterinarian. Jacob and Marlena becoming smitten after a while and this can only lead to trouble with a capital T!The movie is visually stunning from the bright sparkly sunshine of a summer afternoon to the foreboding dangerous shadows lurking in the night. From the vibrant primary colors of the costumed performers to the rich textures of the extravagant interior living space of Marlena and August on the train. From the cages full of beautiful exotic animals to the grandeur of opening night!Some critics have noted that the chemistry between Jacob and Marlena was non-existent. I agree with this to a certain extend simply because i couldn't get past seeing ROB and REESE! Is this what the critics must have meant?On a personal note, i think this may be THE major reason that it was SO difficult for me to write this review; i do not believe in either circuses nor zoos. The HTWT (Have Trunk Will Travel, Inc) company that trained TAI, has assured viewers that TAI was not harmed in any way nor mistreated in her training to perform the tricks you see. I leave this opinion up to the viewer.~BITTER* sips a flute of champagne...............

20 May 2012

Enjoyable

This review is from: Water for Elephants (DVD) Enjoyed this movie after reading book. Always like Reese Witherspoon. She gives a great performance in whatever she plays in. Follows book closely.

20 May 2012

Water for Elephants

This review is from: Water For Elephants (Amazon Instant Video) Quite some time ago, my Book Club read "Water for Elephants." It was truly a page turner for me!! So, when I discovered this narrative was available on film, I was sooo pleased. Great movie! The story line coincided closely with the book. I always like that!! And, it held my attention from start to finish! I would highly recommend this film.

ptb-8

19 May 2012

Quite extraordinary..

What a relief and delight to see such a grand and lavish 1930s epiccircus film made in this clever new century. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS isperhaps not a good marquee movie title which is possibly what it wasslow on the uptake in most cinemas. However word of mouth propelled thefilm into wide acceptance and rightly so. With astonishing accurate andeye catching production values by the great Jack Fisk, and imagery ascompelling as the 1933 film WILD BOYS OF THE ROAD (the great depressionera train movie), this circus drama of hard life and tough romancemeeting youth and struggle (with some psychotic love) is one headybrew. Visually every frame of the film is composed with such careespecially the moonlit vistas of the train chugging across thecountryside. Robert Pattinson is Elvis' brother...yes? He might beAaron reincarnated. He sure looks as though he could easily be thebrother of Elvis Presley. Reece Witherspoon gives a terrific portrayalof a B grade circus Jean Harlow with a hard edge (maybe even like KarenBlack in DAY OF THE LOCUST) and the fringe cast are all well portrayed.My only moan is the one-note Christop Walz who plays August theringmaster and bully as the same cultured Nazi psychopath seen inINGLORIOUS BASTERDS. So far in his two films that I have seen he playsit the same. Yes go see WATER FOR ELEPHANTS and especially on a bigmovie screen. And yes, I loved Rosie the elephant.

Brandon Crombar

17 May 2012

Water for Elephants Review by FeaturedFlicks.com

Water for Elephants has a genuine old time charm that is unmistakable.Based in the great depression this film takes a look at beauty duringhard times. This film is based on the best selling book and I can'timagine how challenging it would be to narrow down 4,000 pages into a120 minute film and from someone who hasn't read the book I think theydid a great job. The attention to detail was authentic and allows theviewer to simply enjoy the film as if they were in another time period.The story was straightforward and didn't have any alarming twists orturns. The audience is very in tune with Jacob's life. Where he camefrom and what he is all about. I wish there would have been more of aback-story on the other two leads Marlena and her husband August.Knowing more about Marlena and August would help the viewer to feelmore connected and understanding of some of their choices. The actors and actresses all did a wonderful job. Reese Witherspoon wasbeautifully brilliant as usual and Pattinson gets by on his talentrather than his looks for a change. Christoph Waltz plays the villainagain and he is suspiciously talented at playing the bad guy. The threeleads do a wonderful job at connecting with the audience and makingevery interaction more personal. The sights and sounds of the circus were exciting. Having an insider'sperspective on the time period and the traveling train circus was verycool and this should be a movie everyone should see in the theater.

17 May 2012

Slow Slow Slow - Long Long Long

Beautifully made, beautiful scenery, and beautiful acting; that is what is wrong with Water for Elephants. This is a movie about the depression, the film should be gritty and dirty, and instead it was a perfectly clean, perfectly manicured Hollywood set. This is one of the most predictable movies I've seen in a long time. An old man shows up at night in a circus parking lot. He sees pictures of the Benzini Brothers Circus and waxes nostalgic. The young man that runs the ticket office is impressed that the man recognizes the Benzini Brothers Circus, it didn't exist beyond 1931. The film is then told in flashback with the old man narrating occasionally (his voice appears to remind the audience the film is really flashback). There are moments in films where I wonder why a character does a particular thing. If the thing is so far from the way a normal person would respond, I believe less and less in the film. Sometimes those actions are so far fetched the film jumps the shark, I can no longer enjoy the film. Water for Elephants is full of those strange moments where characters do things that just don't ring true. The first huge mistake, Jacob is in the middle of taking his last exam to become a veterinarian. His parents are killed in a car accident. Somebody interrupts the test; Jacob must come immediately to identify his parents in the morgue. He never goes back to take the test. No professor ever would have not allowed him to take that exam. It was a simple two hour test; he could have taken the test. The next big mistake, a few days later a banker tells Jacob his father had no money, was in debt beyond belief and they were taking away his house and all his belongings - Jacob is now homeless. The banker tells Jacob his father was a fool and an awful man. And the house was repossessed so fast, Jacob still has no chance to take his test. He barely has time to gather a single suitcase. No matter, the banker never would have said things exactly like that. Why tell somebody their dead father was an awful stupid man. The bottom line, for me, this movie jumped the shark within the first fifteen minutes. A lead character that was that stupid to not go back and finish, to just leave, I had a hard time believing any of his motivations from that point forward. In a lot of ways, I didn't really care deeply about what happened to him. And then to simply rub salt in the wound, Jacob was always perfect, his hair was perfect, he never got dirty, his clothes were nice, and he always had a silly smile on his face. The moment Jacob sets eyes on Marlena; it is clear what will happen. At roughly thirty minutes into the film, the ending is telegraphed. This film marched slowly, oh so slowly, down a predetermined path that was so predictable. Robert Pattinson, as Jacob, is supposed to be Polish. Pattinson tries to speak Polish a lot in this film, his Polish accent is awful. I'm terribly sorry to all the Pattinson fans, but he does a very bad job acting in this film. He's handsome and beautiful window dressing, but I never once believed any of his motivation or really cared much about what he did. The solution to his problems all seemed to be, smile, be handsome, and everything will be OK (it's kind of a blending of Tom Cruise and Robert Redford). Reese Witherspoon as Marlena had moments of good acting, but she also spent a lot of time just looking pretty and smiling. As much as I hated the August character, Christoph Waltz was the only believable character in this film. He was the best actor.So many little things that ruined this film. It was just way too Hollywood, too glossy, too perfectly done, too much of just a vehicle to pander for Pattinson fans. The film is two hours long and is honestly a full hour too long. The story plods along so slowly and relentlessly. Water for Elephants is a pretty film that shouldn't be pretty.

Cat

15 May 2012

Best Movie of the YEAR!

I was a huge fan of the book and worried about the film, but they pulled it off! Amazing visuals, incredible settings, a total escape to another world... it would be impossible to capture the essence of the book entirely, but they came as close as you could get. The acting was dead-on perfect and the elephant, Tai, was superb. What a beautiful, respectful movie.

14 May 2012

Perfect Movie

I never have read the book, and must say I did go see it because I am a fan of actress Reese and actor Rob. I found this movie very good, it was slow in some parts but other than that it was wonderful. It made me laugh, cry, get angry and feel all warm and fuzzy inside throughout the whole movie, whatelse can you want from a movie other than envoke emotions in you. Watching it made you feel like you were there witnessing it live. I didnt think Rob and Reese would make a good romantic couple (the 10 year age gap), but boy did they do a wonderful job. My friend and I saw it, and we both agree we would definantly watch it again!

13 May 2012

CAUGHT UP IN CIRCUMSTANCES OF CRUELTY

Hard times Depression era story about a cruel,sadistic nazi of a man who owns and operates a threadbare second rate traveling circus and those unfortunate enough to be bound to him for survival. You can guess that Reese and Robert are two of the unfortunate victims of this man. It is well cast by Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattison and Hal Holbrook,(though acting is flat maybe in attempt to depict their oppressive servitude) but is really hard to watch at times because of the vicious and sickening treatment innocent beautiful animals and people by the circus owner. Workers remain maddeningly true to him like puppets despite his rampages against them and the animals they love for the sake of their paltry survival. It's pretty hard to take as a viewer. Impoverished workers are thrown off speeding trains just so he won't have to pay them. A precious elephant is whipped repeatedly with a bull hook causing excruciating bloody injuries by this evil man. Both animals and humans are poorly fed and cared for. The circus owner dreams of competing with Ringling Brothers financially. I won't ruin the ending. A little over stylized for the circumstances, i.e. Reese's hair is always perfectly coifed, despited traveling on a train with a filthy impoverished circus. The one thing this film may really accomplish is educating the public on the use of bull hooks, STILL widely used by circuses like Ringling Brothers to train elephants out of fear of pain to do those head stands and tricks that wow people etc. Family entertainment born of cruelty. I hope that Reese and Robert will spread this message.

12 May 2012

Water for Elephants

This review is from: Water for Elephants (DVD) The movie was great. I loved Robert Pattinson in the movie. I really loved Rosie the elephants. Reese witherspoon was good.

10 May 2012

Great Movie

This review is from: Water For Elephants (Amazon Instant Video) Water for Elephants is a great movie. Having read the book, I was hopeful that the movie would be as good as the book with regard to both character development and in conveying what the characters were thinking. The movie did both well, as well as capturing the magic of the travelling circuses of our past.

starrlasheajeffreys

09 May 2012

You wont regret watching this movie

OK having seen a ton of movies in my lifetime, I would love to think Ihave a pretty good scale on a good vs. bad movie. Only one time have Iever said "Wow, that is my favorite movie ever." and that was "CruelIntentions"... Well about 12 years later I've said it again, and thatwas tonight. "Water for Elephants"... It gives you ever emotion youwant out of a movie. Crying, laughing, despair, hope, fear, and justmakes you go back to a better time when things were different, butreally not that different then they are today. It makes you believethat everything leads you to your true destiny in life and that's whatyou... or I want out of a movie. In my opinion, the common denominatoris Reece Witherspoon. Every movie she IS APART OF turns to gold. She isjust brilliant.... I had to share because this has never happened butone other time, so I hope you rent it to watch

08 May 2012

Outstanding Adaptation

I had read the book a couple of times before I went to see the movie. Since the parts of the book which dragged for me were set in the nursing home, I was pleased these had been left out. When I saw this movie at the cinema it was easy for me to follow from the book dispite the ringmaster and August being combined into one character in the movie where they were two separate characters in the book. Robert Pattinson does an excellent job of playing Jacob and as in a previous review the way his face lights up around the animals really made the movie for me. I felt Reece's hair and make up although they fit with the time period, aged her considerably and therefore she didn't fit the image I had in my head when I found out she had been cast as Marlana. She still did a good job fitting into the role though. August, well he was both amusing and frightening at the same time so well done Christop Waltz. I saw this movie four times so obviously I enjoyed and would recommend it to others.

08 May 2012

Beautiful film, good adaptation Robert Pattinson

America. The Great Depression.Jacob (Robert Pattinson) sits down to take his final exam, the last step to becoming a vet, when he receives some bad news. Both of his parents were killed in a car accident. Reeling, he flees his small town and follows the train tracks. He hops on the first train and as luck would have it, he has hopped the Banzini Bros. Traveling Circus. Camel (Jim Norton), an aging roustabout, becomes his official guide and guardian, getting him settled in with the circus. The next morning, Jacob gets some work but his eye wanders to Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), the star of the show. When one of her trained horses becomes sick, Jacob offers to help and attracts the attention of Auguste (Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds", "The Green Hornet"), the owner of Banzini Bros. He is also Marlena's husband. Jacob does some fast talking and quickly becomes the circus vet. But Marlena needs a new act and Auguste finds her a trained elephant. As the vet, the elephant's care and training falls to Jacob. He and Marlena spend a lot of time together and an almost inevitable chemistry grows between them. But Auguste has difficulty dealing with the stress of the circus and his growing jealousy."Water for Elephants", based on the bestseller by Sara Gruen, is a very beautiful film with a very old-fashioned narrative and visual style. This isn't a criticism. In fact, this old-fashioned style only seems to allow us the time and energy to focus on the characters and story. And this makes both even more powerful and memorable.At the end of the film, the first credit was for director Francis Lawrence. I didn't recognize the name at the time, but I was impressed. The second credit was for writer Richard LaGravanese, which didn't surprise me at all. In Hollywood, there are maybe a half dozen screenwriters who are attached to just about every weighty, serious and 'award worthy' film. LaGravanese is one of those writers. He crafts superb screenplays allowing the director and actors to get a jump start on creating a high quality film.A few days after watching "Elephants", I was going through some old reviews I wrote and a familiar name popped up. Francis Lawrence. As a director, he got his start working on high profile music videos. His first feature film? "Constantine" starring Keanu Reeves as a guy who is fighting the Devil in modern-day Los Angeles. (Aren't we all?) His second film? "I am Legend" starring Will Smith as one of the few survivors of a worldwide pandemic now fighting against vampire-like creatures to stay alive. His third film? "Water for Elephants". I then understood why I didn't recognize the director. His first two films ("Legend" is the better of the two) are so different from his newest. With the exception of a couple of landscapes created with CGI, I would venture to guess that 99% of "Elephants" is special effects free. The opposite is true of "Constantine" and "Legend", both of which are chock-a-block with CGI. In "Elephants", Lawrence doesn't have any special effects to deal with, so he is able to concentrate his time and attention on the characters, creating a rich, interesting, visual film.The film begins with Old Jacob (Hal Holbrook) wandering into a modern traveling circus. The manager (Paul Schneider, "Bright Star", "Lars and the Real Girl", TV's "Parks and Recreation") invites him in and they start talking about Banzini Bros. and his early life. We enter this exotic world because of Jacob. And it is a good fit, because he is as young and impressionable as we are; he is our guide to this world and we are meant to see and experience what he does.As Old Jacob begins to tell his story, the narration quickly dissolves to Jacob (Pattinson) narrating. After the death of his parents, Jacob finds he has little left in the world and flees his small town by following the train tracks. Soon, a train approaches and he decides to catch a ride. The next day, Banzine Bros. sets up in a new town and Camel gets him a job shoveling the horse manure. He soon attracts the attention of Auguste, the tyrannical owner and ringmaster of the circus. Auguste orders him thrown off the train. But Jacob quickly convinces him he should have a vet. Ringling Bros. does.I know why Robert Pattinson was cast in this movie. You know why he was cast in this movie. The filmmakers hope his enormous "Twilight" fan base will help make this movie a hit as well. So far, none of the "Twi-hards" have helped any non-"Twilight" movie starring Kristen Stewart or Pattinson become a hit. So it seems a shame they didn't go with Emile Hirsch or Andrew Garfield, two of the other, better actors who were considered for the role.That said, as I watched "Elephants", I was in turn, surprised and perplexed by Pattinson. Initially, his portrayal of Jacob looks and feels interesting and complex. When he learns his parents have died, he is naturally upset. Further complications cause him to run away and literally join the circus. Once there, he is awed by the beauty and the spectacle, he is intimidated and frightened by the danger, he is happy to be working with the animals. But as the story continues, these emotions seem to recycle. Worse, his portrayal of these emotions seems to be the same each time. While I was happy to see him going beyond the glowering teen-angst he has perfected for "Twilight", the use of the same three or four facial expressions proves his limited range as an actor.Reese Witherspoon plays Marlena, Auguste's wife and the star attraction of Banzini Bros. Witherspoon fares much better and portrays a mixture of love and fear of her husband, her stardom and her circus skills. Resembling Jean Harlow, she conveys a mixture of strength and vulnerability any actress in the 30s might have possessed to make them a star. At times, she seems to love Auguste and also to fear his temper. But she has been with him long enough to know how to calm her husband and bring him back to Earth.The morning after Jacob jumps the train, the circus arrives in a new town and sets up. That afternoon, Jacob gets his first glimpse of Marlena's act as she rides her trained horses. And because we are watching through his eyes, it is our first glimpse as well. It is easy to see why he is won over by her beauty as well as the beauty of her act; it is hard to deny the majesty of trained horses moving in harmony. When something happens to the lead horse, Jacob and Marlena are forced to work closely together. And Marlena seems drawn to Jacob because he is so different from Auguste. Jacob is drawn to Marlena because of her maturity and exotic nature.Auguste juggles a lot of responsibility but he also knows he has to rule his kingdom with an iron fist. At times, Auguste is extremely charming and at others, dangerous and menacing. It might seem like he is schizophrenic, but we recognize these different sides of his personality appear as needed, in response to a situation. Waltz is perfect as Auguste. He always seems a little troubled, a little pensive, so when he suddenly turns on the charm, he does so with an underlying sense of danger. One side of his personality never disappears in favor of another and this helps his character seem more dangerous and unsettling.As soon as Jacob enters the picture and convinces Auguste to hire him as the circus vet, Auguste seems a little unsettled, a little less sure of himself. He quickly demonstrates his power by instructing Jacob to do something he doesn't want to do. When Jacob goes against his wishes, his anger surfaces. Later, when Auguste feels Marlena has been threatened, he takes out his aggression on an unsuspecting animal. This is an extremely difficult moment to watch, but it also helps illustrate how dangerous he is. If he is willing to do this to an animal, something that cost him money, and can generate revenue, how will he treat Jacob is he feels threatened by him? Jacob and, for that matter, many of the circus employees, are more expendable than the animals.It is through Jacob that we also witness the examples of how hard this life is. Auguste frequently has money problems. If he feels his employees are becoming too angry about not being paid, he instructs his henchmen to 'red line' some of the more expendable roustabouts. They are basically thrown off the train, in the middle of the night, while it is still moving. And there aren't a lot of feather beds lining the ground along the tracks. When this happens, news spreads and the protests are usually cut off.As the relationship between Jacob and Marlena grows, Auguste recognizes he is losing his love. Instead of banishing Jacob, he brings them closer together, insisting Jacob join them for dinner of many occasions. This helps him keep a more watchful eye on them but also causes his jealous nature to surface much more quickly.Auguste finds an elephant for sale and buys Rosie for Marlena. If she can ride a trained horse, she can ride a trained elephant. And he becomes glassy-eyed at the anticipated revenue. But Jacob and Auguste have different ideas about how to train the new addition and the ringmaster hands the vet a prod with a sharp hook on the end. Auguste is only too willing to demonstrate the tool's use leading Marlena and Jacob to back away in horror.Hal Holbrook plays Old Jacob and his moments at the beginning and end of the film add poignancy making the story a little more touching."Elephants" illustrates the best and worst of circus life, showing the romantic vision of why so many would 'run away and join the circus'. Shortly after Auguste hires Jacob, he leads the young man to the roof of the train and they walk across the top of many cars. Then, Lawrence shows us a wide shot of the train traveling down a curved track through a lush countryside and a small town. A river winds through and the moon shines down. This shot is really beautiful (and no doubt created with CGI) and helps to establish the romantic vision of living such a life.The attention to detail carries through to the design of the train cars. Auguste and Marlena travel in an opulent, red velvet lined car while others travel according to their importance.Old-fashioned storytelling, great visual style and some memorable performances all help to make "Water for Elephants" a very good film.

Barry

06 May 2012

Boring

Very slow and boring. Not much entertainment. Poor direction and bad acting. Very boring. The animals were better actors than the actual actors.

SAmovieguru

06 May 2012

Beautiful film

I was dying to see this film as it looked beautifully done and I wasinterested to see the chemistry between Marlena (Reece Witherspoon) andJacob (Robert Pattinson). I was not disappointed at all. Reece issuperb in the role, always looking glamorous and she captures theessence of the good wife, who has a calming effect on her highlyenergetic, at- times explosive husband August (Christoph Waltz) as wellas the captivating star of the circus show. Waltz is the real star ofthis movie, as his volatile character shows him as the adoring, lovablehusband, and flicks to his bad tempered abusive side. Pattinson plays alikable young man, whose strong love for animals and the kindness heshows Marlena, make him appealing and believable.The scenery and filming are beautifully done, especially at the startof the movie. Being an animal lover, I struggled to watch the sceneswhere the animals were being abused, and showing the caged life ofCircus animals. But these scenes added to creating the passion andintensity of the movie.I highly recommend it.