No mater the medium, one thing connects all artists. Life is finite; no one has found a way around that. Art can live forever, however. That is the goal of every creator; to become immortal through the works they have created. Waterlily Jaguar examines a writer who longs to write The Great American Novel. This is a common goal shared between pretty much all writers. But when have things gone too far?
Bob is a bestselling writer thanks to his “airport” novels. He writes the books travelers read on a long flight then forget about. He is a best selling writer, but wants to be taken more seriously. Unsurprisingly, this becomes his obsession. There is a greater sense of achievement and excitement, for starters. Writing this book will give him acceptance he has never had.
Similar movies can easily be bogged down by a bloated script. The plot involves plenty of talking and introspection. Director Melora Walters does a great job of making sure Waterlily Jaguar never gets tedious or overbearing. A film about an aging writer who is married to a museum curator will immediately turn some audiences off. But there is more here than a man suffering a mid life crisis.
Waterlily Jaguar is able to effortlessly weave in a number of subplots and emotions. He and his assistant Wilhelmina have an antagonist relationship that is arguably the highlight of the film. It is able to bring laughs without ever downplaying the themes the movie is dealing with. There are a lot of moving parts that make things even more intriguing. The cast is small, so Walters is able to give adequate attention to all her characters.
There is much time spent in the movie about taking risks. It is the impetuous for the plot as Bob wants to be challenged more. Waterlily Jaguar is also constantly dealing with relationships. The movie bounces between cynicism and hopefulness which can be frustrating for some. But it is also very similar to real life partnerships. Still, some may find the ending a little flat.
Waterlily Jaguar is an intimate character study that will have the audience asking a lot of questions. How worthy is the pursuit of art? When has it gone too far and if it has, should you say anything? It also tackles relationships and how they change over time. The character driven drama is filled with strong performances and a tight story that will impress audiences.
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