The Chambermaid on the Titanic (La camarera del Titanic)

La camarera del Titanic, or The Chambermaid on the Titanic, features some names that, by now, should be familiar. It was directed by Bigas Luna, and features the lovely Aitana Sánchez-Gijón in the title role. It also stars Romane Bohringer. In an accident of great timing, this film capitalized on the popularity of Titanic, and has hence been seen by more people in the US than all of Luna's other films combined, even though it has little to do with the Titanic.

NUDITY REPORT

Aitana Sánchez-Gijón shows breasts through a sheer top after being showered with champagne in one of his tales

Olivier Martinez plays Horty, a foundry worker in France, who wins his company's version of the triathlon, and, as a prize, is given a trip to see the sailing of the Titanic, including a hotel room for the night. He is approached by Marie (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón), who explains that she has a job as chambermaid on the Titanic, but can't board until the next day, and needs a room. He agrees to let her stay in his, and the two spend a chaste night together. He buys a photo of her from a dock-side photographer, and returns home to rumors that his wife is having an affair with the factory owner. He goes to the local bar, shows the picture, and begins relating a fantasy about what he did with Marie. The story improves each night, gathering a larger crowd with each retelling.

not available in region 1

He is eventually approached by the owner of a traveling theatrical troupe, who offers him big money to tell his story on stage, because anything to do with the Titanic is big box office. Unfortunately, the film doesn't contain the explicit nudity and sex we usually see from Luna. I am not exactly impartial when it comes to nudity and sex in film, but the restraint praised by many critics didn't thrill me. I would have preferred a more typical Bigas Luna approach in a story that clearly called for more nudity.

The Critics Vote

Berardinelli 3/4,

Rotten Tomatoes summary. 75% positive

The People Vote ...

IMDB summary. IMDb voters score it 6.8/10

with their dollars: It enjoyed a minor theatrical release in the US, with a gross of $244K

IMDb guideline: 7.5 usually indicates a level of excellence, about like three and a half stars from the critics. 6.0 usually indicates lukewarm watchability, about like two and a half stars from the critics. The fives are generally not worthwhile unless they are really your kind of material, about like two stars from the critics. Films under five are generally awful even if you like that kind of film, equivalent to about one and a half stars from the critics or less, depending on just how far below five the rating is.

My own guideline: A means the movie is so good it will appeal to you even if you hate the genre. B means the movie is not good enough to win you over if you hate the genre, but is good enough to do so if you have an open mind about this type of film. C means it will only appeal to genre addicts, and has no crossover appeal. D means you'll hate it even if you like the genre. E means that you'll hate it even if you love the genre. F means that the film is not only unappealing across-the-board, but technically inept as well.

Based on this description, this film is a C+.