Such a frustrating disappointment

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

First, I should note that I've never read the novel on which Francis Lawrence's "Water for Elephants" is based. I had never heard of it until the movie got released. Now that I've seen it, I'm impressed. I interpreted it as a look at how a person tries to find his place after his initial goal fails, but also gets forced to do the right thing in desperate situations. Although Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson are the main characters, Christoph Waltz is the one who sticks out in my mind. His August is one vile person, the type who would draw the ire of any animal welfare organization. But I suspect that these things happen a lot in circuses. Barnum and Bailey recently closed after 146 years in business. Probably best, knowing how animals get treated; after all, they aren't meant to be our entertainment.It's not a masterpiece, but still a good look at how the characters seek to find a healthy relationship in a cruel setting. I'd like to read the book.

After choosing a war picture and a satire, both of which my wife hated, I said "You pick it tonight, dear." She selected "Water For Elephants" on Netflix for no good reason other than the interesting title. Well! I was prepared to pick up a book or do a crossword while she watched it. Wrong! It was one of the best films I've seen this year. Fascinating story. Great performances. Superb atmosphere. Top notch cinematography. There's some violence and some sex. But neither is gratuitous or excessive. Do you like the circus? You'll love this. Do you like trains? You'll love this. Do you like period pieces? You'll love this. In short, an exceptional and engrossing film.

So I was watching this last night on TV and well here is my review on it.Water For Elephants is a 2011 Romantic Drama starring Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon. It tells the tale of this young man named Jacob(Twilight's Robert Pattinson) who's parents die and he is a young vet at the Circus where he helps animals that are sick or injured. But he later meets the beautiful Marlene(played by Walk The Line's Reese Witherspoon) and falls in love with her. But there is a problem as she is married to an evil brute (played by Inglorious Bastards Christoph Waltz)who is so rough with his animals he even attacks an elephant called Rosie and even a horse had to be put down. But as Marlene and Jacob's relationship grows closer and closer will Marlene ever leave her brute of a husband for Jacob?? The story to this was great and the setting was really nice as its a throwback to the 1930s era. The costumes were nice and the acting was great. I was a fan of Reese Witherspoon for a very long time and Robert Pattinson surprisingly very good in this movie as Jacob the handsome young vet who falls for Witherspoon's character. The relationship between the two was great too and you feel sorry for them especially Witherspoon's charcther marrying an evil brute who owns the circus.Overall its a 7/10 and if its on TV again i'll definitely be watching it again or if I find the DVD of it I will buy it.

Rosie is one smart elephant. She understands Polish commands; not really commands, but gentle suggestions. She performs her 'answers' on cue. She is perfect. This is in sharp contrast to that brute, August, who beats her and stabs her with all the grace of a Neanderthal psycho ignoramus. Elephants never forget, so it is said, so Rosie eventually doles out her own intelligent solution upon the evil August.August is cruel to animals and people. He may physically abuse his wife. It looks that way, but I don't remember actually seeing it. She knows she has to do what he says. Meanwhile, he throws employees from the train because of budgetary problems. It is the Great Depression. I know from my own historical studies that circuses struggled financially in that time period. Some of these employees were killed upon impact with the ground or sharp rocks. August could not pay them their salaries, so he just dumped them.Robert Pattinson was wonderful as younger Jacob, and Hal Holbrook was excellent as his older self. Reese Witherspoon was perfect as Marlena. She had a very nice figure, IMO, to wear those lovely and skimpy circus costumes. August was a perfect villain.I love circus history. This was a very interesting movie.10/10