Water For Elephants

What attracted me to watch this movie was its promotional poster. It is simple, in a way, that manages to capture the intensity and imagination of what this movie might be. I did not read the book so i was clueless from the start. All i knew were what i derived from the title and the poster. A couple. Another man. Elephant. Circus. Water for elephants.

To be frank, i'm not a fan of its cast: Robert Pattinson (yes in Harry Potter Goblet of Fire and no in Twilight) or Reese Witherspoon (yes in Just Like Heaven, maybe in Monsters Vs Aliens). However, Robert Pattinson's performance, as Jacob in this movie, is surely commendable. Somehow, i could sense some resemblance of him to James Franco in 127 Hours. And his character is like Jack in Titanic. Christopher Waltz, who played villain, August, is another actor that deserved tremendous applause. His character moves the story forward, a character that demands great acting skills of its actor to deliver and Waltz nailed it- he portrayed his character perfectly.

The way the story is being told felt like watching Titanic, with a circus touch. It begins with the main character, who has aged, telling and reminiscing his days of his youth. The story flashes back to when it all began. It also shares the lower-upper class-like love story struggle. First thought, not very original. Predictable. But combining with circus life, it becomes a masterpiece. The story develops well, from how Jacob joins the circus troupe to becoming a man of attention, and the movie peaks at the right moment, leaving everything to fall into place. Additional credits as the script is beautifully written.

This story centralizes on issues like the abuse of animals in circus, and it is shown discreetly in some of the scenes. What the audience watches in the circus is an illusion performed at the commands of their master, August, and Jacob and Marlena (Reese Witherspoon) realize and see the pain inflicted on the animals and soon, their lives. There is a reason why this movie is entitled 'Water For Elephants' and my bet would be a reason pertaining to this. Watch it yourself and share with me your interpretation of the title.

In short, Water For Elephants is an intriguing movie with a solid development of its plot. A redeemed YES for Robert Pattinson. A good choice of movie to watch if you want an escape from computer-rich effect movies.

Year: 2011
My rating: 7.0 / 10
Genre: Drama, romance
You'll like this if you like: Titanic, animals, Robbert Pattinson