A new era movie star headlines an old fashion drama to satisfying results in Water for Elephants.  

Robert Pattinson seems to be an unfortunate victim of guilt by association, with the Twilight series painting the expressive actor into a corner where he has been poked and prodded. Now with the era of Twilight nearing its conclusion, Pattinson seems eager to prove himself with several high profile roles in the horizon.

First up is Water for Elephants, based on the bestselling novel of the same name. The film begins with Jacob (Hal Holbrook) an elderly man with a story to tell, who takes us all of the way back to Depression era 1931, where his younger self (Pattinson) is grieving the sudden loss of his parents. Alone and desperate he hitches a ride with travelling circus the Benzini Brothers, owned and operated with a stern hand by the ruthless August (Christoph Waltz).

Yet it’s not only his true calling that Jacob finds under the “big top”, but also love in the form of star attraction and August’s wife, Marlena (Reese Witherspoon). Needless to say, blood is spilt and hearts are broken.

Water for Elephants marks the return of director Frances Lawrence to feature films after a four year absence, and this is a change in direction from the likes of I Am Legend.

What hasn’t changed is Lawrence’s handle on creating fine visuals, with Water for Elephants offering plenty of opportunity for the music video director to strut his stuff through the glitz and majesty of circus spectacle, with thanks to cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto and production designer Jack Fisk.

Yet any romanticism associated with this long extinct form of entertainment is quickly quashed, with behind the scenes sequences quick to portray the cruelty towards workers and especially animals.

It’s the performances which stand out the most. Pattinson is known for his ability to play angst (perhaps a little too well). Yet while in Remember Me he was given free rein to ham it up till his heart’s content, here Lawrence chooses key spots for Pattinson to unleash the patented R-Patz spat to make for his most complete performance yet.   

When Pattinson is coupled with Witherspoon and Waltz, an interesting clash of acting styles engulfs the screen. Witherspoon is naturalistic and simply radiant as the object of desire, while Waltz stands above all as a domineering force to reckoned with, even though he is physically smaller than his co-stars.

It is their portrayals which drive the film and Lawrence’s visual prowess which makes it such a pleasant piece of eye candy. Yet this was Pattinson’s film to lose, and in his first steps to a successful post-Twilight career, he is treading the right path.