De l'eau pour les éléphants

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)

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. (03/09/2011)

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. (10/10/2012)

The circus finally got a good movie. Witherspoon has earned a spot in my top 10 favorite actresses with this one. The pairing of Reese and Pattinson was a really good choice. I was worried that the film would be "too heavy". In the end, I had no problem digesting it because it is made with a tremendously light touch. The costumes and hairstyles are also exceptionally well done. The script is also beautiful, so there you go. (16/07/2011)