Waterlily Jaguar

Director - Melora Walters (The Muse, Drowning)

Starring - James Le Gros (Constantine, Justified), Mira Sorvino (Mimic, Space Warriors), and Stacey Oristano (Ghost Hunt, Criminal Minds)

Release Date - 2018

Genre - Drama

Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I get a lot of different movies to review.  Many of you know that I love strange and weird cinema.  I blame that on John Waters, Troma, and renting straight to video horror films from the video store growing up.  I do find myself enjoying films that are not so weird and unusual but I typically don't go looking for them.  Sometime back I was asked to review two films from Bayview Entertainment.  I agreed without knowing too much about them.  When I received them I quickly realized they were not horror flicks.  At least, not horror in the sense most of us see horror.  I didn't mind though.  I was still open to checking them out.  The first one I put on the chopping block is the 2018 drama Waterlily Jaguar from Melora Walters.  I want to take a second to thank Bayview for sending these my way!

     The film follows successful author Bob (Gros) who is struggling with his next novel.  He wants to make something more serious that will leave his mark on history.  However, his next topic becomes an obsession and this obsession puts a strain on everything in his life including his own marriage.  

     I had no idea what to expect when I tossed this one in.  I knew it wasn't a horror flick but it still looked entertaining...and it was for the first half of the film.  The acting in this one is exceptional.  James Le Gros was marvelous as Bob the author.  His performance carried the film and his character was great as the subject of the film.  The supporting cast is great as well but the characters are not as entertaining as Bob.  The story for this one starts out great as we watch a wealthy writer become obsessed with the topic of his next novel but once we hit the 40 minute mark we find ourselves struggling to finish the film.  The film starts out fine but once we hit the midway mark we find ourselves watching more than one character and how they are struggling.  It is a little overwhelming and almost chaotic.  I feel like the movie started out with a single thought in mind but before it ends we find ourselves struggling with an incoherent story.  Finally, those of you looking for blood and gore will not find any here.  The film is not brooding or menacing and those wanting their horror fix will not find it here.  Overall, Waterlily Jaguar is a film that has promise but loses traction halfway in.  Some serious editing and a tighter story would make this one a more solid flick but the way it is it is a struggle to finish.