Diego Velazquez’s, Las Meninas; Michelangelo’s, Sistine Chapel; Handel’s, Messiah; all, arguably, unrivaled masterpieces by visionary artists far ahead of their time. Director Francis Lawrence comes close to creating a masterpiece of his own in his recent film rendition of, Water for Elephants, based on the book by Sara Gruen.

     Gruen’s detailed, vivid style captures the essence of a 1930 traveling circus; her eclectic mix of relatable characters draws the reader into the glitzy world of circus life and the harsh life of those behind the scenes. The book has many components that work together to make it a fast paced read, focusing mainly on the corruption of Benzini Brother’s traveling circus and the impact on the show of the personal lives of three main characters, Marlena, her husband August and the circus’s vet, Jakob Jankowski. True to the circus experience, the book creates a sense of awe and amazement through a brisk web of crimes of passion that exposes the corruption of a seemingly average traveling show.

     Anticipation for, Water for Elephants (the movie), was huge. Given the book was a New York Times number one best seller, readers were eager to see a movie very similar to their beloved book; Lawrence created just that. The movie rarely strays from the books plot, and even when it does, it’s so subtle its hardly noticeable. The cast, which includes Robert Pattinson (Jakob), Reese Witherspoon (Marlena) and Christoph Waltz (August) also includes an elephant named Tai (Rosie) and an array of animals ranging from monkeys to giraffes and lions. The lighthearted setting allows for the development of deeper issues such as infidelity and animal cruelty. However, viewers beware; Water for Elephants may not be for the young or the squeamish due to scenes with either mild sexual content or intense animal cruelty. Despite some overly dramatic scenes, Water for Elephants is all in all a very good movie that is almost as good as the book it is based off of.

     So step right up, Water for Elephants is sure to please; after all, life is the most spectacular show on earth.