I got to see it in theaters (in 3D, but it's not like that matters these days), and it was an awesome experience in every sense of the word. For starters, I had no idea the entire movie was framed around a semi-fictional deep-dive to the remains of the Titanic, and the movie proper didn't start until around 15-20 minutes in.
I can hardly remember the last time I felt like this while watching a movie: a thousand thoughts about the technical craft flew through my mind, yet I was totally engrossed in the story. And what a story it is. I had a lovely short conversation with an older couple as we were leaving the theater. The woman called it a classic and one of the greatest love stories, and that I should bring my girlfriend next time instead of seeing it alone. It almost feels like a Disney love story when you step back. A wealthy girl falls in love with a poor but bright boy over the course of one day. Big Aladdin vibes. But with the impending tragedy looming, the simple love story works in the movie's favour. In fact, its forthcoming doom hangs over every part of the movie. Every passenger the camera moved over, every child, could be doomed to die in the end. I was so immersed, my brain chose not to see it as fiction, and it terrified me. The entire third act of the movie where the ship sinks had me so tense watching people move from confusion to denial, and denial to panic, and panic to chaos. It terrified me, and shook me to my core.
Even so, this movie has some excellent moments of levity. The dialogue is so well-written and performed with such excellence. Every member of the cast absolutely killed it. From Billy Zane's caricature of a posh man to the more intimate performances of DiCaprio and Winslet, and even the extras, they all did an amazing job. Also, it would be a crime not to even briefly mention that this movie not only has the best pacing I've seen in a 3+ hour long movie, but some of the best pacing I've ever seen in a movie, period.
And to cap it all off, My Heart Will Go On was the perfect song to play over the credits as I collected my thoughts after that wonderful, thrilling, magical movie. Absolutely fantastic, it is.
Review by JonTheMantisBlockedParent2023-02-17T04:21:42Z
I finally get what all the fuss was about.
I got to see it in theaters (in 3D, but it's not like that matters these days), and it was an awesome experience in every sense of the word. For starters, I had no idea the entire movie was framed around a semi-fictional deep-dive to the remains of the Titanic, and the movie proper didn't start until around 15-20 minutes in.
I can hardly remember the last time I felt like this while watching a movie: a thousand thoughts about the technical craft flew through my mind, yet I was totally engrossed in the story. And what a story it is. I had a lovely short conversation with an older couple as we were leaving the theater. The woman called it a classic and one of the greatest love stories, and that I should bring my girlfriend next time instead of seeing it alone. It almost feels like a Disney love story when you step back. A wealthy girl falls in love with a poor but bright boy over the course of one day. Big Aladdin vibes. But with the impending tragedy looming, the simple love story works in the movie's favour. In fact, its forthcoming doom hangs over every part of the movie. Every passenger the camera moved over, every child, could be doomed to die in the end. I was so immersed, my brain chose not to see it as fiction, and it terrified me. The entire third act of the movie where the ship sinks had me so tense watching people move from confusion to denial, and denial to panic, and panic to chaos. It terrified me, and shook me to my core.
Even so, this movie has some excellent moments of levity. The dialogue is so well-written and performed with such excellence. Every member of the cast absolutely killed it. From Billy Zane's caricature of a posh man to the more intimate performances of DiCaprio and Winslet, and even the extras, they all did an amazing job. Also, it would be a crime not to even briefly mention that this movie not only has the best pacing I've seen in a 3+ hour long movie, but some of the best pacing I've ever seen in a movie, period.
And to cap it all off, My Heart Will Go On was the perfect song to play over the credits as I collected my thoughts after that wonderful, thrilling, magical movie. Absolutely fantastic, it is.