Back
when times were hard, Polish veterinary student Jacob (Robert
Pattinson) suffers a double blow when not only are both of his parents
killed in a car crash but it turns out they didn’t have a cent to their
name.
Hitting the road like so many other men did, he ends up
hitching a ride on a circus train – not the safest way to travel, as
carney folk didn’t worry much about throwing people off onto the rocks.
Turns out that a vet has his uses around big animals, and the
circus’s slightly sinister owner and ringmaster August (Christoph
Waltz) gives him a job on the basis of the work he does with the horse
of the circus’ star attraction (and August’s wife) Marlena (Reese
Witherspoon).
Of course, all that working together soon leads
to deeper feelings, which aren’t such a good idea with august throwing
people off the train every chance he gets.
The circus setting
is vividly realised, giving the story a real sense of place even as the
actual romance comes off as somewhat colourless. It’s as if
they wanted to make a circus movie and knew the only way they could
sell it was as a romance; while it might be true, it doesn’t mean the
romance itself couldn’t have been beefed up a little. DVD Special Features
Quite a bit on offer here, mostly for the "R-Pat"
fans - and why not - there just isn't a teen hearthrob out there that's
any bigger than the guy without a tan!
Include here is a "must
see" Robert Pattinson Spotlight, Feature on Performer Reese
Witherspoon, a cool featurette called "The Traveling Show - Page to
Screen", as well as the old Audio Commentary with Director Francis
Lawrence and Writer Richard LaGravenese.
Worth having in the collection for those nights you need to trick a girl into thinking you have "emotions". Conclusion:
Movie 60% Extras: 55%
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