***

Water for Elephants- nf  – A doddering  old man (Hal Holbrook ) arrives late and misses the last circus show visiting his town. It turns out that many years ago he had a very special relationship with a well known traveling circus and so the tale unfolds . It happened long ago in the depression era when this young man (Robert Pattinson) was just about to graduate from  Cornell Veterinary College and finds himself down on his luck . He jumps on a train heading out of town which turns out to be  traveling circus. So begins this fairy tale of  a heroic young man, a beautiful young woman of the circus (Resse Witherspoon), her husband, the all powerful animal trainer and boss man (Christoher Waltz) and an elephant named Rosie who is very smart and loveable. There is adventure, drama, suspense, humor and lots of circus music. You think you know how it is  going to turn out but you won’t quite figure it out. Getting there will be an enjoyable process with a well crafted movie directed by Francis Lawrence. (2011)

****

Remember Me- nf  – This is a haunting film which will grab you at it’s beginning and will penetrate your heart at it’s ending.  We are introduced to one of the main characters in a tragic New York moment. We then meet the main focus of the film Tyler Hawkins (Robert Pattinson) whose parents have split up in the wake of his brothers’s suicide. He obviously has not found himself as he struggles with his anger, his alienation from his father ( Pierce Brosnan) and yet we see  his devotion to his kid sister, wonderfully portrayed by Ruby Jerins).  The relationship bewtween Hawkins and Ally Craig (Emille de Ravin) the now grown up 21 year old young women  who was a  participant in that earlier mentioned tragic moment 10 years previously, is the centerpiece of the film . During their first date at dinner Ally wants dessert because you can never tell when you will suddenly be facing death and wish you had that last dessert and another person would have such guilt if they talked you out that dessert. In one sense that is the story of this movie – unexpectedly life can be ended  with lasting consequences to the people to whom they are close.  This is something that many New Yorkers know so well and this movie is a New York movie. Director Allen Coulter has captured it’s feel whether it be a college apartment around NYU, a house in Queens, a private school on the upper east side , a high rise office overlooking the city, or a taxi that might not want to go to Queens.The characters all have depth which is as real as the grit of the city. There is humor, drama  romance, great acting and a very good screen play by Will Fetters. This movie will stick to you and it will be hard to forget it. (2010)