if you think robert pattinson and reese witherspoon would make a winning combination, you'd be right. the duo headline the big screen adaptation of water for elephants, which follows the story of jacob jankowski (pattinson) as he, literally, runs away with the circus. the flick takes place in the middle of the great depression, when money's tight and circuses are pulling every trick possible to stay afloat. jacob meets august (inglorious basterds' breakout christoph waltz) and his wife, marlena (witherspoon); august serves as the circus' ringmaster, while marlena is its star attraction. not so shockingly, jacob falls for marlena and (again, not so shockingly) drama ensues. the movie stays religiously faithful to the book, with very little left out; and, at exactly two hours long, it does a good job of keeping the action moving and engaging the audience - i didn't feel bored one time during the screening. the actors are all at the top of their game; pattinson's finally gotten beyond trying to cover his accent, witherspoon is, as far as i can tell, playing a romanticized version of herself and waltz balances a slimy role with a strong likability factor. director francis lawrence, known mainly for his music video work, does an exceptional job of making the 1930s into a modern fantasy. you feel like you're in the train cars with the characters and want to stay a while. while water for elephants probably won't win many awards (most likely costuming and visuals, at most), it will keep you entertained. if you've read the best-selling book its based on (and you should), you'll definitely want to check it out. and, if you haven't, well, what's your problem?
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