Water for Elephants

This picture should have been titled Vodka for Elephants (A Czech play on words voda=water, vodka=vodka) in view of the main elephant’s love of alcohol and the time when the story takes place. I don’t like clowns and I don’t like Pattinson (his earlier edition, Hal Holbrook, is three levels higher in acting skill), but Lawrence serves us with a really superb classic Hollywood fairytale and Christoph Waltz knows how to enjoy acting evil bastards. James Newton Howard’s music will grab you by the heart again. (04/09/2011)

Water for Elephants is in some ways a more modest take on the iconic Titanic, except now it's grandpa returning in his memories, but it's just as bittersweet and enjoyable as the the famous blockbuster. I'd take an elephant like Rosie home in a heartbeat, except in a much smaller version, because she shines the most as an “actor” next to Christoph Waltz. The pairing of Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon is a strange combination, and if someone had told me that these two would be starring in a movie in 2011 and as a couple in love, I probably wouldn't have been able to avoid laughing. They weren't bad, but the chemistry between them wasn't that good. All in all, an easygoing and likeable film whose final fifteen minutes are exemplary filmmaking (08/06/2011)

Pattinson will have a hard time shedding the painful stigma of the awkward vampire, but he can give a serious performance if the script allows it. Films from the circus environment are scarce, so extra points for that, but unlike others I wouldn't praise Christoph Waltz's performance so much – when he’s playing a choleric jealous husband or a slightly sadistic guy (stabbing an elephant), it's all right, but I didn't buy his crying (worrying about his livelihood) at all. (27/07/2011)

An honest and sincere film with very talented actors. The setting is essentially unexplored, and the entire project benefits from it. It has a nostalgic atmosphere of that era, yet it is modern and skillfully filmed with a solid musical score. I am not a supporter of violence against animals (even in films), so some shots may not sit well with more sensitive individuals, but it is not gratuitously shocking; on the contrary, it highlights Christoph Waltz's excellent acting. It was more entertaining and captivating than I expected, even the predictable ending was satisfying. Perhaps the parallel in concept with Titanic didn't need to be there, but otherwise, it is fine. A lot of value for the money. (11/10/2012)

While Burlesque only gingerly exploited a plot cut from the 1930s but set it in the present, Water for Elephants literally revels in the year 1931 in every frame. The circus setting, the ethereal Reese, the totally accurate Christoph, and the prejudicial Robert (I'm no longer afraid of his Bel Ami creation), are what I need on the big screen by far the most. A magnificent melodrama that is aware of its mission. (24/05/2011)