[9]

By anchoring his screenplay in one of the most inherently compelling tragedies of the twentieth century and placing the the weight of the story on Kate Winslet’s able shoulders, James Cameron concocts a recipe for the biggest money-making movie of all time (still true as of this writing, though his own Avatar threatens to dethrone the ill-fated vessel). The movie is split in two, with the love story taking us up to the half-way point, after which we hit the ice berg and all hell breaks loose.  The quality of the writing isn’t equal to the movie’s grand production values, but Titanic is good ‘common denominator’ filmmaking, universally appealing to men and women, young and old.  Cameron sensationalizes the boat’s demise in a protracted sinking sequence that, while viscerally thrilling, borders on self indulgent.  Winslet’s character and performance are strong enough to carry you over the shaky parts, and toward the end there are some genuine tear-jerker moments (guilty as charged).

Academy Awards: Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Score, Song, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Film Editing, Visual Effects

Nominations: Best Actress (Winslet), Supporting Actress (Gloria Stuart), Makeup