“Water for Elephants” will undoubtly please the fans of Sara Gruen’s best-selling novel and the “Twilight” fans who adore Robert Pattinson. As for me, it was a pleasant surprise of a picture. I wasn’t really expecting much because I just figured it was going to be a run-of-the mill romance but I kept an open mind about it and it’s actually a pretty good and engaging romantic melodrama. It’s also a beautiful movie to look at thanks to set-designer Jack Fisk. The film also features good performances, especially from Christoph Waltz, he proves once again that he is a fantastic actor and practically steals the show as the circus ringleader. I actually think that the film will engage a wide range of audiences other then the specific audiences I just mentioned earlier.

Our story begins in the present where a man named Jacob, played beautifully by Hal Holbrook, (yes he is still living!) tells a story about his life in the circus during the depression. We then cut to flashback to 1931 as Jacob is shown to be a promising veterinarian, and we see Robert Pattinson as he plays the young Jacob. But after a fatal car accident kills his parents, he decides to quit college and travel wherever the road takes him. He hops on a passing train, which happens to be a circus train to be exact, and meets the circus performers and ringleader August (Christoph Waltz).  He threatens to throw him across the train for trespassing but feels he can be useful because Jacob has veterinary experiences. Jacob then meets Augusts’ wife Marlene (Reese Witherspoon) and quickly falls in love with her. It then begins a love triangle between the three characters while they perform the circus from town to town.

This film is one of the more beautiful movies I have seen in a while; the set pieces are well made especially on the train and the circus itself. Most films today would use phony equipment; but in this film the filmmakers use more believable set pieces to make the film authentically old-fashioned. It’s a beautiful splendor to look at because of how old-fashioned it is. One such example is a scene when August and Jacob are on top of the train and August is discussing the circus life. With the train roaring through the night sky and James Newton Howard’s score in the background, this really lets the film make you feel like it 1931 . It also, at the same time, gives us good insight on what the circus life is like in that specific era.

Despite my criticisms of Robert Pattinson in the past, I have to say that he did surprise me, because he does give a fine performance. Reese Witherspoon does well and a likable job of playing such a naïve character. But it’s really Christoph Waltz who is the more memorable one, as I said earlier, Waltz is terrific in this film. He has a scary, monstrous, and menacing personality while being charismatic at the same time. Do these personality traits sound familiar? Yes because he basically channels his Oscar-winning performance as Colonel. Hans Landa in “Inglorious Basterds”.  He has everyone at his grip and will do drastic measures when anyone gets in his way; while being charismatic as well. It is a very good performance and he steals the film every time he is on screen.

There is however, one glaring flaw that the film suffers from. The problem is that there is no chemistry between Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon. The whole film is suppose to be about their development to the hidden love but I never felt affection for their forbidden love and it didn’t help that their dialogue made me cringe.  If there was a spark of interest between the two I would have like the film a lot more.

This film was directed by Francis Lawrence, who’s “Constantine” (I didn’t like) and “I am Legend” which I thought was ok, but here he makes an affectionate and appealing film that features beautiful set-pieces and a great performance by Christoph Waltz. Despite its flaw, there is enough good in the film that’s worth seeing. This film is worth seeing on the set pieces alone.

***| PG-13| 122 Minutes