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TITANIC

1/2
Jack Choo

Directed by James Cameron

Starring : Kate Winslet (Rose Calvert)

Leornado DiCaprio (Jack Dawson)

Running Time : 3hrs 15mins (!)

Rating : ****1/2 out of *****

Official WebSite: www.titanicmovie.com

 

FLOATING WAY ABOVE EXPECTATIONS

[ Horde trying to get off ship. ]

TITANIC carries with it the hype of being the most expensive film ever made. With a whopping US$200 million price tag on it, the hype surrounding the movie was immense. Like WATERWORLD, people would like to see it; mostly to see how bad it would sink. It proved otherwise. Rather than sinking with its immense budget and hype or merely floating along with most mediocre Hollywood films, it jumped straight out of the water and flew beyond expectations. People who watch this movie with or without a pre-set thinking will be pleasantly surprised with what TITANIC has to offer, in terms of a well-balanced movie.

I could not agree more that it was money well spent. After all, US$200 million is a LOT of money for a movie. Too much in all aspects of movie-making. James Cameron commissioned ILM (Industrial Light and Magic), which did all those superb effects in TH E LOST WORLD, STARSHIP TROOPERS and MEN IN BLACK to re-create the ship in computer graphics and mixing them seamlessly with live-action footage. The set designs were very good, and so much money was spent that there are rumours going about that they aucti oned the sets off after the movie was shot to cut back this over-budgeted movie. Even the carpets used in the film was made by the original manufacturer for those in the real Titanic way back in the early 1900s.

[ Horde trying to get off ship. ]

TITANIC revolves around the love-story between two characters; Jack Dawson (DiCaprio) and Rose Calvert (Winslet). Jack, a care-free drifter who seizes life by the day, wins a 3rd class ticket for the maiden voyage of the ship over a hand of poker. Rose, on the other hand, hates everything about her life although she is to wed a rich aristocrat (Billy Zane). Rose's feeling of being contained is only reinforced with all the pressures put upon her by her mother, so as to save their family name and status. Her unorthodox meeting with Jack presented her with the opportunity to run away from her emotional predicament and to allow herself to discover what she really needs out of life.

This film does not possess the complexity in terms of style and story-telling like say, L.A.CONFIDENTIAL but ironically so, this is also one of its greatest merits which actually makes this film highly watchable. The idealistic love-story between Jack and Rose crosses into the `fantasy' region almost all the time throughout the film and the dialogue exchanged during such moments are not quite easy to swallow as real-life situations. It is the innocence and pureness in their relationship which actually make tragedy more enthralling and extreme. With all the special-effects and great action surrounding the film, audiences will definitely feel that TITANIC is close to the ultimate tragedy love-story. This sets TITANIC much higher than other `disaster' fil ms due to this central focus on their relationship.

[ Horde trying to get off ship. ]

Director James Cameron has come a LONG way since his first movie, a well-forgotten low budget flick called PIRANHA 2 : THE SPAWNING. Since then, he has moved on to direct box-office hits like THE TERMINATOR, TERMINATOR 2, ALIENS and TRUE LIES, making h im one of the most bankable action movie directors of all time. We can still see him flexing those well-respected skills in action sequences in TITANIC. What really impressed was this action-based director was actually using his skills to support a love-s tory rather than to allow action to be the central-focus of the film and best of all, how he managed to pull it off successfully. Watch out for this film in the upcoming Academy Awards. James Cameron may be on of the top contenders for best director.

Despite its long running time (over 3hrs!), audiences will not feel that it was draggy or slow. The last film which I felt the same for the running time was for BRAVEHEART. The film was never a moment uninteresting nor slow; there is always something to keep audiences `occupied'. Highly Recommended.

Read a considerably less benign review of James Cameron's TITANIC at The Flying Inkpot.
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Readers' Comments

From: Wayne (Wayne&Garth@Wayne'sWorld.com)

Yeah Titanic is the movie of the decade. I know some people seem to beg for ponderously complicated and high falluting plots and twists and turns, but hey isn't it cool once in a while to watch a predictable epic where you know what's going to happen, but you just want to watch HOW it happened? i mean... isn't that sometimes the magic of cinema (the quintessential hollywood epic?).
From: Jay (art41514@leonis.nus.sg)

One thing one could mention about the plot structure of the film is best summarized by James Cameron himself. He said that the film, essentially a love story, could be divided into 2 right down the middle...with the 1st half showing two social classes (I know there is a middle class as well, but...) miles apart being brought together by love, and the 2nd half (about after the ship hits the iceberg) showing this 'union' being stretched away again as Rose and Jack realize the social truths of their classes that divide them. The appeal in this is that everyone watching identifies with either the higher or lower social realities (someone has to be 'bigger'), with the poignant yet asocial ending satisfying both sides. oh yeah....what happened to the half *?
From: SARAH (student@allenstoss.qld.edu.au)

Dear Inkpot Reviews, I loved the movie Titanic I would give it a 5 out of 5. I'm interested in Titanic alot I think it is really cool even though it was a really bad disaster, I would have love to be on the Titanic and survived. From Sarah
From: brandi bustard (brandi.bustardb@fc.baxter.pvt.k12.me.us / Wednesday, December 2, 1998 at 03:04:04)

hi i like movie. that my favorite much about that movie. can leo an rose too come here form baxter shool all kid want see you just see you
From: KRISTINA MAISONET ( / Sunday, December 13, 1998 at 02:06:50)
From: STACY (CJHART / Wednesday, December 16, 1998 at 10:53:33)

I WANTED TO ADD MY THOUGHT ABOUT TITANIC I THINK IT WAS THE BEST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SAW IN MY LIFE BECAUSE IT WAS SO REAL AND THE ACTERS WERE GREAT IN THERE PARTS AND I REALLY LIKED THE BEANGING WERE THEY FOUND THE PAINTING AND THE END ALSO WHEN THEY WENT INTO THE OCEAN TOGETHER AND WHEN ROSE GOT SAVED IT WAS A VERY SAD MOVIE AND I THOUGHT ROSE WAS A VERY BRAVE WOMAN TO SAVE JACK AND STAY WITH HIM I REALLY FEEL BAD FOR ALL THOSE PEOPLE THATREALLY DIED I REALLY ENJOTED WACHTING THIS MOVIE WICTH YOU HEAR ALOT BT IT WAS REALLY GOOD.......... YOUR NUMBER ONE FAN STACY.
From: samyuktha (sammyramani@hotmail.com / Wednesday, January 13, 1999 at 15:03:17)

This movie is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Hope no one ever misses it!!!! Leo was awesome in the movie.
From: Audrey Ashole ( / Thursday, January 21, 1999 at 06:08:42)
From: Audrey asrafa (cioody27 / Thursday, January 21, 1999 at 06:09:49)
From: Audrey asrafa (cioody27 / Thursday, January 21, 1999 at 06:10:00)