As soon as I heard that Rob would be in the movie version of Sara Gruen's best-seller
Water for Elephants, I ran to the bookstore to get the book. Just like with the entire Twilight Saga series, I prefer to read the books before seeing the movie version.
I finished the book,
Water for Elephants, last week, and I loved it. The main character, Jacob Jankowski, was a compelling and sympathetic character. I loved the way the story flowed seamlessly between Jacob's past and present. I was impressed with the depth of research and attention to detail in Ms. Gruen's depiction of circus life during the Great Depression. I loved how Ms. Gruen could get into the head of an old man who was trapped in his old man's body. And I loved the ending--very satisfying.
Unfortunately, very little of this translated into the movie version. Don't get me wrong--I really enjoyed the movie for it's own strengths, but the movie could have been so much better if it had followed the spirit of the book more closely.
So rather than compare the movie to the book, I'll just say that I enjoyed seeing Rob Pattinson playing someone other than Edward. I didn't see any sign of Edward in this film. Rob's portrayal of Jacob was solid and believable. I can actually imagine Rob getting a role someday that could earn him an Oscar nomination...
Reese Witherspoon, as I expected, was great as Marlena. In fact, I pictured her as Marlena while I was reading the book, so it was an easy transition for me. Rob and Reese were a sweet, attractive couple, but I didn't really feel the chemistry between them like I did with Rob and Kristen in the Twilight movies. (I wonder if Rob and Kristen make post-Twilight movies together, will they share that same chemistry?)
Water for Elephants is a visually beautiful movie, with solid performances by its stars, including the surprising acting talents of Tai, the elephant who played Rosie. Rob has mentioned publicly how much he enjoyed working with Tai, and you can really see the bond between them in this film. In fact, Rob's relationship with Tai is one of the main strengths of this film.
In summary, I recommend this movie, especially if you're a fan of Rob as an actor.
