Water for Elephants Movie Blurb by Shale April 22, 2011 After getting back into town at about midnight after two days on the bus I had a little sleep, caught up on things to do and decided to take in a movie. Opening this week was a drama that I had seen the trailers and had heard about from my sister. She reads and enjoyed the titular novel by Sara Gruen. I don't read and didn't read the novel. In a way I think I am ahead because I saw the movie as the only source of a compelling and often tense story. Strangely, I thot this a very good movie as did 93% of audiences on Rottentomatoes but just over half the aggregate reviewers liked it. (I suspect they read the book and compared apples and oranges). The tension is set, as seen in the trailers when an old man shows up at a modern circus and it is revealed that he was aware of the Benzini Brothers circus and its tragic ending. The old man is Jacob Jankowski (Hal Holbrook) who is invited to talk about it with the young circus manager. In flashback the movie opens on a young Jacob (Robert Pattinson) in 1931 as he is finishing veterinarian school at Cornell. That is not to be as he loses his parents and in the depression, everything else. He leaves town and hops a freight train, which happens to be the Benzini Circus. Jacob Searching for a New Life These are really desperate times, when hungry men did anything for work and life apparently was cheap along the road. Jacob is about to be thrown from the train before it is revealed to owner and Ringmaster August Rosenbluth (Christoph Waltz) that he is a veterinarian and could be of service to the circus. August is married to Marlena (Reese Witherspoon) the star act with trained horses. August & Marlena We soon learn that August has anger issues, is a sadist who enjoys inflicting pain on others, whether animal or human. His wife is devoted to him, sort of co-dependent. Also, as all businesses in the depression, this one is a step ahead of folding at any time and people seem to disappear when the payroll can't be met. Jacob crosses August on a matter of conscience and is nearly killed for it but in a mood swing is spared. He stays and when August buys an elephant, Jacob is to be it's trainer and work with Marlena who will perform with the beast. Jacob, Marlena & Rosie August the control freak mishandles Rosie the elephant by beating her and Rosie reacts. Jacob tries to intervene as much as he can without being mishandled himself and Marlena admires Jacob's kindness and starts to resent her husband's brutality more. Well, you can see this coming - Jacob and Marlena start liking each other - a lot. Dangerous Infatuation And, you can see where it's going. As I said, not having read the book and not knowing how this story plays out there are tense moments thru-out this movie waiting for some clash in the triangle, August-Jacob -Marlena. Plus, there's that mention of the tragedy in the beginning of the story. I enjoyed the movie and I think Pattinson held his own with the other actors. This is the second serious drama I've seen him in (Remember Me - where his clash with Pierce Brosnan was very convincing) and I think he is breaking away from Edward Cullen (who can't pass for 17 any more).
Shale, I love your movie reviews! I've been dying to see some opinions on this movie before venturing out to see it myself. I might take a backwards approach to this and watch the movie before reading the book. But thank you for the thorough review!
thanks for the review. i was planning to watch it, but comtemplating. now, i'm gonna watch it this weekend. seems to be a good one.
