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| Jacob and Marlena |
A love triangle which unfolds amid a circus setting sparks some interest but once you follow up on several scenes of Francis Lawrence’s Water for Elephants, you are overwhelmed by a feeling of déjà vu. There is nothing novel about it apart from some amazing performances by a few animals like an elephant, horses and a dog. It is the typical boy meets girl film where the boy has to win the girl over from the villain.
Films about traveling circuses used to be relatively commonplace in American films. Jacob, a Cornell veterinary school student, escapes from the ruin provoked by his parents’ untimely death by joining the Benzini Bros Circus. He wins over the owner and ringmaster - August’s trust due to his expertise on animals. He is soon welcomed into the clan and is recruited into training the circus’ new star attraction, an elephant named Rosie. Trouble brews when he develops an attraction for August’s beautiful blond wife, Marlena. Since she rides the elephant the two spend time together and their relationship develops. Their affection catches August’s eye and he falls into a fit of jealousy and suspicion. Hell breaks loose when Marlena elopes with Jacob after a quarrel with her husband.
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The adaptation is respectable but could have been presented with more spunk. Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson and Christoph Waltz have done their best to ignite the tale with a well-worn theme. Waltz’s performance as the hot tempered middle-aged August is especially commendable. He does not blink an eye in uttering his satirical lines or carrying out some gruelling activities.
Giving his vampire avatar a break Pattinson gives an acceptable performance as Jacob. Surprisingly Witherspoon fails to perform her character as the glamorous platinum blonde. Besides her good looks and kindness towards animals there is noting significant about her. One wonders what an intelligent and good looking youth like Jacob could possible see in her let alone stake his life for her. The relationship between the lead pair also lacks chemistry.
It is disappointing that the star attraction of the movie, Rosie, is not given much of a place towards the latter part of the movie. Gruen’s novel takes an entirely different approach to Rosie as the beaten and mistreated elephant who triumphs as a heroine who harbours a primal sense of justice.
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| Jacob and Rose |
The film merely shows the battered elephant as an obedient and loveable companion.
The opening scenes add interest as the past story is recited by an elderly gentleman, the much older Jacob. Here again there is nothing new about the approach, yet it warms your heart.
The backdrop and Jacqueline West’s costumes combine well with the era. Kudos to art director David Crank for capturing the beauty of village in the opening sequences and moving onto the bustling surroundings and excitement of circus life. Taken as a novel, Sara Gruen’s engaging best-seller, is an excellent piece of work but as in most cases, the movie falls short of delivering the essence of the book. Sadly, the movie lacks the vital spark that would have made it truly compelling on screen.
Daily News by Ruwini JAYAWARDANA
