Water for Elephants (2011)

• Year: 2011
• Released: 22 Apr 2011
• Country: United States
• Adwords: 3 wins & 13 nominations
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1067583/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Water_for_Elephants
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/water-for-elephants
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English, Polish
• MPA Rating: PG-13
• Genre: Drama, Romance
• Runtime: 120 min
• Writer: Richard LaGravenese, Sara Gruen
• Director: Francis Lawrence
• Cast: Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz
• Keywords: based on novel or book, clown, great depression, elephant, veterinary,

	6.9/10
	52/100
	60% – Critics
	70% – Audience

Water for Elephants Storyline

After seeing a photograph of the Benzini Bros. Circus circa 1931 among the possessions of Charlie O’Brien III, the owner/operator of the Circus Vargas, elderly Jacob Jankowski recounts to him the time he spent with Benzini Bros. that year. Because of a sudden change to his family and financial circumstance, Jacob, then twenty-three, was forced to give up everything he knew, including his home, his almost completed Cornell education in veterinary science, and what he had mapped out as his future. Hitting the road with no idea where he would end up, he stumbled across Benzini Bros. by accident, it being owned and operated at that time by August Rosenbluth. August, who was also the head animal trainer, treated people the way he trained his animals, with fear, intimidation and when need be violence and sometimes even death. Jacob started out doing the lowest of the menial work, but graduated to become the circus’ vet, based on August’s assumption that Jacob graduated. Regardless, August was happy to have him in the position, as Benzini Bros.’s main rival, Ringling Bros., had no such position on staff. Through many extreme ups and even more and severely extreme downs, Jacob became a trusted part of August’s circus family. August acquired an aged elephant named Rosie in order for the circus to have a star attraction, which he hoped would get him out of his then financial hole. Jacob would be Rosie’s trainer, and Marlena Rosenbluth, the circus’ headlining horse trick rider and August’s young wife, would be the performer with Rosie. Both Jacob and Marlena formed a bond with Rosie, in large part because of August’s ill treatment of her. Although Jacob was immediately attracted to Marlena on first sight, they fell in love through their work together on the act with Rosie, but also had growing disdain for August and his violent ways. Their romantic triangle would not only threaten Jacob and Marlena’s lives, but also the livelihood of the circus.

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Water for Elephants Movie Reviews

Polish hearing elephants

Hal Holbrook is an old man who runs to the circus and tells a tale of his younger days in depression era America.

Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson) was studying to be a vet. His parents died in an accident and he could not continue his studies. Jacob gets a job in the Benzini Bros circus run by the volatile and sadistic August (Christoph Waltz) and he starts to treat the animals because of his veterinary skills.

When August acquires Rosie the elephant, August brutally mistreats her until Jacob realises that he elephant only understands commands in Polish, a language Jacob knows.

Jacob works with August’s beautiful younger wife, Marlena (Reese Witherspoon) to train Rosie and both fall in love. However August suspects their affair and plans to throw Jacob off the train.

Water for Elephants is a handsomely mounted film but it is only a passable romance movie. There is an age gap between Pattinson and Witherspoon which does not make the romance smoulder. Waltz chews the scenery as the bad guy. Pattinson does well as the awkward, nervous young man but the character only shines when the Holbrook plays the older Jacob.

Surprisingly good

I haven’t read the book but this makes little difference to me as I always try to judge a film/adaptation on its own terms. Coming from someone who is somewhat indifferent to Robert Pattinson and the Twilight Saga and reading the controversy surrounding it I was really pleasantly surprised by this movie. It may move slowly at times and I think more could’ve been done with the ending. However, it is a visually spectacular film, the scenery and costumes are gorgeous and the cinematography exquisite. The music sparkles too, the story and script are both believable, the circus scenes are vivid and the animals(I agree 100% about Rosie) are very cute. The direction is assured as well, while the performances are excellent. This is the best I’ve seen Robert Pattinson act, Reese Witherspoon is quite touching and her chemistry with Pattinson is to be commended while Christolph Waltz is brilliant as the antagonist. All in all, a surprisingly good film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

No chemistry with Witherspoon and Pattinson

An old Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson) recounts his life in the Benzini Circus and remembers the infamous disaster in 1931. Jacob was studying veterinary medicine when his parents die in a car accident and he loses everything. He literally runs away to the circus, and becomes entangled in a love triangle with the volatile owner August (Christoph Waltz) and his wife/lead attraction Marlena (Reese Witherspoon).

The circus storyline is fascinating. It can get deeply disturbing. Waltz has the intimidating persona locked down. The only missing element is the chemistry between Witherspoon and Pattinson. The love triangle is a melodrama to begin with. With such limited chemistry, it really degrades the movie at its center. At least the movie around the center is great.