Dir: Francis Lawrence, USA, 2011, 120 mins
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz, James Frain, Paul Schneider
Review by Maria Sell
With the immensely popular series of Twilight film nearing its end, Water for Elephants provides teen heartthrob Robert Pattinson with a chance to prove he is capable of making the transition from teen franchise star to a bona fide leading Hollywood male.
The drama, which is based on Sara Gruen’s international bestseller of the same name, is predominantly set in America in 1931, during prohibition and the depression. When his parents die unexpectedly in a car accident, Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson) abandons his veterinary degree at Ivy League Cornell University and spontaneously jumps on the next freight train. This happens to belong to the Benzini Brothers’ travelling circus and Jacob is hired by its owner August (Christoph Waltz) as a veterinarian despite his lack of an official qualification. August and the performers welcome Jacob into the extended circus family. But he soon finds himself in trouble when he falls for August’s wife Marlena (Reese Witherspoon) while they train and take care of the circus’s new attraction, elephant dame Rosie, together.
Waltz, who has previously won an Academy Award for his villainous turn in Inglorious Basterds, certainly stands out as the charismatic, yet cruel patriarch of the circus troupe, who is resented not only by his wife for his violent temper outbursts but also by the rest of the circus crew. He is though arguably the most interesting character in the film. Despite Witherspoon’s assured performance, her capabilities aren’t particularly stretched as the pretty small town girl, who is made the star of the Benzini Brothers by her husband. And while Pattinson shows there could be more to him than a moody vampire, he still has some way to go to prove it, as his portrayal of the deeply in love Jacob is at times difficult to believe. But more problematic is the lack of chemistry between Witherspoon and Pattinson. More often Marlena’s behaviour towards Jacob seems maternal rather than that of someone who is falling in love with him. Or perhaps this is an impression which just arises as a result of the age difference between the actors. Either way, pairing Witherspoon and Pattinson certainly does not help the feature’s credibility.
Unfortunately, the film follows an overly familiar Hollywood pattern with clichéd characters that lack depth and hardly rise above the level of caricature. In particular August’s far more complex character in the novel appears to have been lost in translation to the big screen. To add to this, the story itself lacks novelty and does not offer any major twists or surprises at any point. However, Water for Elephants is undeniably a feast for the eyes with its impressive costumes and recreation of 1930s America without an over reliance on CGI. The film does not stumble on the visual front; it is in its emotional core that it falters.
Life might be the most spectacular show on earth, but unfortunately in many aspects Water for Elephants is not.
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