Jacob (Robert Pattinson) is a forced out of his home during the Great Depression. It doesn’t take him long to find a job using his Ivy League veterinarian skills with a traveling circus. This opportunity does open the door for forbidden love in the form of star attraction Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), whom is married to the circus owner (Christoph Waltz).
Directed by Francis Lawrence, Water for Elephants looks nice. It’s a period film that draws on our understanding of the time, not emulating the movies of that time. Lawrence, whose previous title was I Am Legend (a movie with some of the worst CGI of recent years) scaled back the faux spectacle. Yes, in this movie lions look good. The lighting and use of music sets the stage for epic feet sweeping, but sadly the lead is not putting forth the needed charisma. I’m uncertain of who to blame for this but Jacob is only likable though his misfortune, not through his personality. Even if the screenplay had him as subdued, Francis of Pattinson should have pushed the character. Jacob is a stock quit hero.
When the struggling circus acquires an elephant named Rosie, Jacob’s stock rises. The interaction with Rosie is one of the stronger elements of the screenplay, and the subtle foreshadowing sets up a well executed final. I’m impressed by the stunt work of Witherspoon. By all accounts she’d riding an elephant, and I can’t say that many other actresses of her stature would do the same. However I wish her character had more personality instead of being so singular in dimension.
It shouldn’t be a huge surprise that Christoph Waltz delivers the best performance. As August he’s sitting in the most complex role. August can be fair, drunk, paranoid, etc.
Water for Elephants takes few turns. Thrills are planned out and can be viewed from the horizon. Characters also take misguided actions. I can’t speak from experience but I assume that if you were confident in your ability to pass a final exam at Cornell, you’d proceed with the test. I also doubt that business owners invite new hands to their quarters to watching couple dancing.
Hal Holbrook proves to be twice the actor of Pattinson by simply setting up and spoiling the story as the elder Jacob recounting events. This senior framing device has been successful in the past. Thanks to Titanic and The Notebook every new romance works this angle. I suppose that’s fine, but what isn’t is summing up end of life events before introducing the characters.
So now for the wordplay everyone has been waiting for: the Water for Elephants is lukewarm bathwater. It will both not kill you, and feel painfully predictable with it’s recycled nature. There is some charm to be had in the way the circus folk live, but Water for Elephants never stays on the most interesting notes. The not-broke-so-don’t-fix-it mentality won’t offence the casual crowd, but when it comes to building a compelling story I can’t help but think that surprises are important. **½
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