Water for Elephants

Legendary Circus man P.T. Barnum never said “there’s a sucker born every minute.” Another circus man, August Rosenbluth, verifiably philosophized that “the world’s run on tricks. Everyone plays.”

Rosenbluth and his circus, the Benzini Bros., are actually fictional. They are all part of Sara Gruen’s novel, and now film, Water for Elephants.

In 1931, Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson) was studying at Cornell University’s veterinary school until his parents died in a crash. Left with nothing, Jacob left college behind and hit the road. He finds a train to hop on that turns out to be that of the Benzini Bros.

August (Christoph Waltz) likes to see nuisances, including stowaways, flung out of the train at first opportunity. But Jacob’s background impresses him, and he appoints him the circus vet. Jacob has no problem making friends with the troupe, which also includes August’s wife and top star Marlena (Reese Witherspoon). But the unhinged August does have a problem with Jacob when he notices him getting too close to Marlena.

Of the leads, Waltz gives the best performance. Charming one minute, and brutal the next, he makes August into an unpredictably scary villain. His supporting cast is made up of a well-played ensemble of likable characters such as the drunkard Camel (Jim Norton) and dog trainer Walter (Mark Povinelli).

Its production and costume designs are perfectly suited for the time period. Also helping the film are James Newton Howard's score and Rodrigo Prieto's cinematography. Brought together by director Francis Lawrence, these production values give the film a majestic quality. It really is a film that's great to look at.

Water for Elephants is a film that easily lets its audience under the big top. It won't be around forever, so try to see it before it packs up and goes.