Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants is the latest Hollywood love story starring Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon as two lovers brought together over an affectionate elephant named Rosie.

The story follows Jacob (Pattinson) who finds himself without a home or a family, penniless and on the streets as the Great Polish Depression begins to hit him hard. With no other road to follow Jacob joins a travelling circus as their vet and soon finds himself adapting to circus life.

In the day time the circus is a wonderful world, full of colours and imagination. However, by night it becomes a sea of treachery and fear led by the arch villain August (Christopher Waltz).

Water for Elephants could be described as slightly clichéd, but it is not without it’s attractions. Pattinson’s acting is exceptional and not far off the brooding vampire he portrays in Twilight. I found he did support most of the film along with Christopher Waltz but the combination of a romance in a travelling circus with an arch villain stalking the carriages, Water for Elephants is not a film to be trifled at.

The film explores abusive relationships, both animal and human and the old fable of how if you hurt something it is bound to come back round to you eventually. The theme of exclusion also runs throughout this film highlighting those who are different in society making it a film that people can definitely relate too.

By Caitlin

Boston High School