Review: Water for Elephants

You’ve got to feel sorry for Robert Pattinson. Sure, the guy has half the world’s female population swooning over his handsome features and windswept hair, but you can almost sense his fear of being perennially associated to the lackluster Twilight films, a saga which requires him to do little other than brood in the shadows and sparkle in the sunlight. Roles in indie productions like Remember Me and the yet to be released Bel Ami are proof of the young Brit’s desire to flex his acting muscles, so how does he fare in Water For Elephants?

Well, he’s not exactly the new James Dean (nor the new Leo, for that matter), but there is some interesting work on display here. As Jacob Jankowski, the vet student who tries to escape the tribulations of the Great Depression by joining a travelling circus, Pattinson turns in a subtle performance which speaks volumes of his ability to play emotionally restrained characters. The scene in which he must make the painful decision of putting down a fatally injured horse is a career highpoint.

What takes the shine off R-Pattz’s performance isn’t so much the saccharine schmaltz or the formulaic plot structure, but the presence of two Oscar winners. Reese Witherspoon’s Marlena may not be the angelic figure director Francis Lawrence would have us believe, but the experienced actress manages to infuse her with enough grace and warmth to convincingly win Jake over. Christoph Waltz on the other hand is a commanding presence as despotic circus owner Augustus, even though his twitchy, psychopathic outbursts mean he too often resembles Hans Landa with a bullhook (there is also the nagging sensation that Waltz’s contract states he must strangle a blonde in every film he's in). By casting two acting heavyweights in the supporting roles Pattinson, like his character, is forced to step aside while his co-stars hog the spotlight and gain all the plaudits.

Special mention should also go out to Francis Lawrence's direction, which makes use of tracking shots to give the circus train’s crowded coaches a life of their own, while the warm palette succeeds in giving a surprisingly heartening portrayal of 30’s America, where a trip to see the Benzini Bros.’ “greatest show on Earth” is the stuff of dreams.

But the real star attraction of the film is Tai, the pachyderm playing Rosie. Whether she’s doing headstands, chugging lemonade or saving the day with her nifty trunk, she is always a truly awww-inspiring performer and will no doubt dominate all discussions of the film once the credits roll. Hopefully for Pattinson, he won’t be upstaged by an elephant in his next movie.

 

3/5