Month: April 2011

How to Watch: “Water for Elephants”

Step 1: Step in. The Water is a little too tepid but at least the Elephant steals the show.

Step 2: Remember the book is usually better. Based on the bestselling novel by Sara Gruen, Water for Elephants is a romantic tale set in the 1930s Depression about the demise of a traveling circus. It centers on the dashing young veterinarian student Jacob (Robert Pattinson), who has his whole life ahead of him until a tragedy sends him on a journey of self discovery. He jumps onboard a train one evening and unexpectedly joins the Benzini Bros. Circus as the in-house vet, ingratiating himself with the cast of colorful characters, including the circus’ ringmaster August (Christophe Waltz) and his lovely wife, and star of the show, Marlena (Reese Witherspoon). Not surprising, Jacob falls for Marlena the minute he sees her calming down her team of beautiful horses – and Marlena is a little smitten, too. But then there’s the whole matter of August, who we quickly realize has big-time anger and jealousy issues, with a cruelty-to-animals streak as an added bonus.

Step 3: Read “tepid” in graph 1. Athough I haven’t read the book, I imagine the seemingly forbidden love blossoming between Jacob and Marlena plays well on the page. Unfortunately, it’s not translated onscreen. Sparks are definitely not flying between Pattinson and Witherspoon, and while they are pretty to watch, they’ve each had much better chemistry with other movie partners. Waltz is charming, intimidating and downright scary once again, but after seeing him win an Oscar for basically playing the same heavy in Inglourious Basterds, it might be time for the Austrian actor to spread his wings and show American audiences he can do so much more.

Step 4: When all else fails, buy an elephant. No, the real star of Water for Elephants is Rosie, a 53-year-old female elephant who joins the Benzini Bros. as a last-ditch effort to boost the show’s profile. Played by a movie veteran elephant named Tai, the gentle giant certainly has more charisma with its star players than they do with each other. Witherspoon trained with Tai for three months before filming started and you can see the natural affinity the two have for one another. The same goes for Pattinson, who Tai unmercifully flirts with on — and apparently off — screen (and why shouldn’t she?) The film could have benefited from more elephant scenes.

Step 5: It’s got the look. Water for Elephants looks fantastic, I’ll give it that. Director Francis Lawrence, who helmed such visual treats as Constantine and I Am Legend, creates a vibrant, brutal world of a 1931 circus, especially on the train, with all the performers and workers and animals jammed together. Bygone traveling circuses are something to be marveled, with their rich history. It’s the unpredictability and danger and wonderment of it all, and Lawrence taps into that succinctly. It’s just a shame the romantic elements couldn’t have been more powerful and meaningful, instead of dragging down the film. I was totally ready to swoon over Pattinson and Witherspoon. Oh well.

How to Watch: “Born to Be Wild”

Step 1: Go, IMAX! The brilliant IMAX technology works its magic again with the fascinating and heartwarming nature tale Born to Be Wild.

Step 2: Start with a dedicated idea. This documentary, narrated by the always good Morgan Freeman, follows the efforts of two animal activists. In the lush rainforests of Borneo, world-renowned primatologist Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas has set up a compound where she nurses orphaned baby orangutans, whose mothers have been killed, usually by some form of deforestation. Then across the rugged Kenyan savannah, celebrated elephant authority Dame Daphne M. Sheldrick does the same thing with baby elephants, whose mothers have been killed by poachers. These women and their trusted teams rescue, rehabilitate and return these incredible animals back to the wild — and we get to watch with wonderment on how they do it.

Step 3: Love the orangutans. Born to Be Wild is only 40 minutes, but in that time you get to know the characters intimately. With Dr. Galdikas, we see how her mostly female team bonds with the orangutans. Adult orangutans are generally solitary creatures but as babies, they cling to their mothers, rarely ever touching the ground. In the compound, these expressive primates wrap themselves around their human surrogates and grow to love them as much as if they were monkeys themselves. Dr. Galdikas also keeps in touch with some of the adult orangutans she has raised, who are now happily surviving in the wild. In one scene, she shares a bowl of noodles with one.

Step 4: Love the elephants. With Dame Sheldrick, her team is mostly male, and they, too, form close attachments with the baby elephants. Elephants are far more social than orangutans and only feel truly comfortable when they are surrounded by other elephants and their human friends. Most rescued baby elephants have been traumatized when they are brought into the camp, having witnessed their mothers killed and shunned by the male elephants, so it takes a lot of TLC to get them to trust the humans. In fact, each handler assigned to an elephant sleep with their charge so to make the animal feel safe. Then when it comes time for the elephants to go back into the wild, Sheldrick takes the elephants to an even more remote location, where the animals stay for another three years. In that time, adult elephants – who were raised by Sheldrick but are now living in the wild – come back to this camp and actually help rehabilitate the younger elephants so the transition goes smoother. It still kind of brings a tear to my eyes.

Step 5: Go, IMAX… again! The best part is watching Born to Be Wild in an IMAX theater. Filmmaker David Lickley apparently had a time of it getting all that equipment into these remote places, especially in Borneo, but the captured images are truly breathtaking and spectacular. Adding the 3D element is also a must. At one point, one of the orangutans looks close enough to touch. I complain about all the friggin’ 3D movies out there and having to wear those glasses, but when in an IMAX theater, the technology still astounds me.

Step 6: Be an animal lover. If you’ve ever thought about leaving the comforts of society and going into the wild to study and help animals, Born to Be Wild will definitely urge you in that direction. There is something so selfless and amazing in seeing people dedicated to preserving natural wildlife – and focusing on such adorable animals as orangutans and elephants is just a plus.

How to Watch: “Soul Surfer”

Step 1: I’m afraid to say something negative about the Christian-based Soul Surfer for fear of going to hell. So I won’t.

Step 2: Uplift the spirits. While there’s a fair amount of cheesy dialogue and Lifetime TV sensibilities, the film still touches your heart. Soul Surfer is a biopic about real-life pro surfer Bethany Hamilton, who, as a teenager, overcomes many obstacles after losing her arm in a shark attack. Starting when Bethany (AnnaSophia Robb) is a 13-year-old girl, we see she’s someone with an undeniably kind spirit and boundless energy, growing up in Hawaii with surfer parents (Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt). She learns to surf at a very young age with her best friend (Lorraine Nicholson), and the two eventually find themselves on track to becoming pro surfers.

Step 3: When the shark bites… Then tragedy strikes when Bethany is attacked by a shark while surfing, nearly dying after losing 60 percent of her blood. Now with only one arm, she is determined to go back in the water to surf but finds it very difficult. Bethany almost gives it all up. Yet, with the support of her family and her church youth counselor (Carrie Underwood), she embarks on a humanitarian journey to help victims in the 2004 tsunami disaster — and discovers her own courage to live out her dream of being a pro surfer.

Step 4: Move above the common. What delineates Soul Surfer from a TV movie of the week is, of course, the acting. Quaid and Hunt simply add a certain gravitas to the proceedings as the Hamiltons, who have provided a solid family unit. It’s also nice to see Hunt on the big screen again after a three year absence. Let’s hope to see more of her. Robb, best known for her roles in Bridge to Terabithia and Race to Witch Mountain, has the requisite amount of spunk and determination, while also showing what must have been Bethany’s insecurities and fears. Country superstar Carrie Underwood makes her film debut as the Christian youth leader, and I’m sure she played it pretty close to herself. Nicholson, who is Jack Nicholson’s daughter, does a nice job as the friend who witnesses her best friend getting her arm chewed off by a shark. One thing that sort of bothered me was the way the locals went after the shark and killed it (don’t worry, I’m not giving any major plot points away). It really wasn’t the fish’s fault; he thought she was a seal, like in most shark-to-surfer attacks, so why kill it? Poor sharks. But I digress.

Step 5: Move to Hawaii. Director Sean McNamara comes from kids’ TV (Even Stevens), so while he has a handle on the PG-ness of Soul Surfer, he’s not as good with the surfing sequences — at least not when it comes to using stunt doubles effectively. There are many obvious moments in which you can tell it’s not Robb — and even some laughable times when the actress’ face is superimposed on a real surfer in action. And yet, the special effects to hide Robb’s arm are completely believable. Go figure. Ultimately, though, McNamara captures the true spirit of Bethany’s story, managing to bring a big screen feel to what probably should have been a small screen sports flick. Filming in the gorgeous, lush and extraordinarily beautiful Hawaii also helps. I have to admit I walked out of the theater seriously considering chucking it all in, moving there and running a small sundries shop. I don’t surf, so not too afraid of getting a shark bite — and I can always get Netflix for my movie addiction. Who’s with me?!