Los amantes pasajeros

The cine-goer attends this movie in order to "laugh" and "have fun". He/she ends up confused and disappointed. That's because he/she is missing the point: this is not a comedy, it's much more than that. Don't stay on surface, it's a political allegory in many ways. If the cine-goer could "get it" we'd probably be living in a different political order.

Spain and the crisis in the EU: the passengers (and viewers/cine-goers) in the second class are sleeping during the flight and cannot understand what is really happening. They have no right to the truth. The same applies to the viewer and critic, this movie is so clever that proves that the viewer/critic is also asleep since he/she can't get what's behind the "comedy".

It is only the A-Class passengers that are free of manipulation and have the right to know the truth. The crew could represent in a way, the "technocrats". However, they all have their own problems and ethics - it is criticized the way they came up to "A-Class".

Now, take a moment to think: why did we watch the first scene with Penelope Cruz? Just that the director lets his friends do a small guest part? It's a world where nobody is doing his/her job properly. Instead of that, everybody cares about his/her "personal world" which becomes that hilarious like when tweeting messages while bleeding. Further more, it's a world full of political corruption and economic scandals. When do they all come from? It's a world of a meaningless individualism. And, under pressure, it's all about sex. Hallelujah Sigmund Freud.

"I'm So Excited!" from 2013 is not Almodovar's best effort - it's as raunchy as it gets, and it seems like it's on the light side for him. It really isn't, if you understand Spanish politics.

The plot concerns a flight from Madrid to Mexico with an economy class that's been drugged so they'll sleep through the flight and won't become restless, and a first class with just a few people in it. Those people consist of a dominatrix, a virgin psychic, a man escaping from bank fraud, an actor, a couple on their honeymoon, and a man who describes himself as being in the security business.

They are attended to by three gay male flight attendants who at one point lypsync and dance to "I'm So Excited." They also pass out Valenciana cocktails with mescalin in them.

It seems that the plane might not land - there's a problem with the landing gear and the pilot is frantically seeking an airport where he can make an emergency landing.

Someone described this as a gay Airplane! and I suppose in a way it is. Almodovar I think was saying that the economy class (i.e., the poor) are kept unaware of circumstances. The wealthy people in first class are awake and, if not in control, at least they know what's going on.

If you're not a fan of Almodovar, you will undoubtedly hate this. I liked it - I'm not one for raunchy, sexual humor -- but because I like Almodovar and his quirkiness, I put up with it. I have to say the guys' rendition of "I'm So Excited" was hilarious - I watched it a couple of times. Also, Miguel Angel Silvestre, one of my favorite actors, plays one of the honeymooners. Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz have cameos.

Almodovar isn't for everyone, but he's an intelligent director with an offbeat sense of humor. If you're unfamiliar with him, I recommend you start with "Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" or "All About My Mother," or the wonderful "Volver."

The words surreal, strange, fantastical and bizarre have been associated with Pedro Almodovar's cinema along with longing, fragility, fluidity of gender, and the search for one's individual sexuality in a world filled with variations from the "norm." His 2011 movie THE SKIN I LIVE IN encompassed all those terms and I for one was deeply touched by that exceptionally idiosyncratic film. On the other hand, I'M SO EXCITED is Almodovar on his tiptoes – LIGHT and FROTHY. I do not deny that the movie made me laugh out loud, but it never made me ache with confusion and pain. It never touched me beneath the skin I live in.

The bouncy, brightly colored, whimsical, animated opening credits put a smile on the audiences' faces, setting the mood for the craziness that was to come. The movie bolts onto the screen with cameos by Airline workers, Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas, two of the finest actors in Almodovar's repertory. But their cameos are basically a "schtick" - an eccentric bit - with no relation to the rest of the movie, except as a sign that we are about to be launched on a wild ride.

We meet the flight attendants and passengers of Peninsula 2549 – an Airline like no other - bound from Spain to Mexico, and discover early on that there is trouble with the plane's landing gear which puts everyone at dire risk as the plane circles round and round looking for a place to land. How the crew and passengers deal with the end-of-life/ tying-up-loose- ends business goes to the heart of this comic allegory. Life goes on in the midst of probable death so everyone - actually everyone who is not in Economy Class (they are drugged and asleep) - lets loose and are plied with drinks, drugs and engage in sex – a feast of debauchery including gay and straight sex, anonymous and public couplings. We are privy to personal histories, infidelities, lies and scandals – humanity with all its human failings flung out like baggage for all to see and hear.

Three of the Flight attendants who are all gay, function as a Greek Chorus – commenting on the action, and entertaining the travelers with a wonderfully kinky and freaky rendition of the Pointer Sisters song "I Am So Excited." These flamboyant stewards are the focus of the movie – their struggles with morality, philosophical musings, religion, and libidinal urges make for a tender, extravagant burlesque. There is also a Cassandra-like character – a predictor of future doom that nobody wants to hear, because the underlying truths make everyone uncomfortable.

I love that Pedro Almodovar works on films that are unpredictable. He experiments with all kinds of genres – some are secret and intimate and others are open and "cosmic". I admire that he does what he wants and each movie is a challenge. Immediately after the movie ended, I felt that this comedy was both hilarious and often too obviously "over the top." On further reflection, I realized that what I had perceived as superficiality was a strongly structured jab at our human vulnerabilities – delivered with jest and generosity – all the better to grasp and hold you.

I'm So Excited is every frame a Pedro Almodóvar film (Talk to Her, Volver, The Skin I Live In): bizarre characters are painted in warm, luscious hues; politically incorrect dialogue are infused with a hint of cheerful irreverence. This saucy Spanish comedy revolves around three gay stewards, two bisexual pilots and a flurry of passengers bound for Mexico.

The main narrative occurs against the backdrop of the plane interior itself. When the landing gear of Peninsula Flight 2549 malfunctions, sexual tensions escalate and inhibitions are shed in tandem to the knowledge of impending death and doom.

We meet the trio of raging queens Joserra (Javier Cámara of Talk to Her), Fajas (Carlos Areces ) and Ulloa (Raúl Arévalo), chief pilot and Joserra's married lover Alex, his co-pilot and one-night-stand Benito. Seven passengers venture in-and-out of the cramped and narrow-spaced cockpit to interrupt this nervous dynamic. Hyper sensitive virgin psychic Bruna (Lola Dueñas) reacts to her powers of ESP and detects the "smell of death" in certain parts of the plane. Norma (Cecilia Roth), a demanding corporate highflyer in business class has mysterious connections to the oligarchs of Spanish society; she fears the malfunction is an assassination attempt to bury the secrets she knows as a high-end dominatrix. A mysterious and nameless Infante, scandalous middle-aged celebrity Ricardo, troubled husband and father Sr. Más and a pair of dopey, drug smuggling newly weds occupy the rest of Flight 2549's fuselage.

Attempts to communicate with family and loved ones ground below are made possible by the only cabin handset that functions — but conversations can be heard over the PA system. This narrative device connects passengers in the plane to various characters on the ground; thus giving shape to back stories that serve to stress and accentuate the panicky mood unfolding within the plane.

This latest offering by Almodóvar is an unbridled, satirical film with flashes of political and sexual humour. In many ways, I'm So Excited is a valuable testament to the hedonistic cultural wave of La Movida Madrileña (the famous Spanish 80s) where freedom of expression, transgression of taboos imposed by the Franco Regime, use of recreational drugs all exist to celebrate a new spirit of freedom in the streets of Madrid.

Far from existing in a farcical vacuum, it would be prudent to consider the historical undertones in this excellent film — it is a subtle reminder of how far the Spanish identity has since evolved in post-Franco years.

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I ignored the reviews for this flick which were mostly unfavourable figuring that Almodovar is not everybody's cup of tea. On this occasion alas I have to agree. I'm assuming this is meant to be an out and out comedy (there was a fair amount of laughter in the cinema) but to me the material was over reliant on cheap, sensationalist blowjob and gay sex gags a kind of x rated Carry On film with none of the charm and simply not funny enough.

I figure that Almodovar fans like myself will watch this regardless of the poor reviews, as for those Almodovar virgins who may be contemplating popping their cherry avoid this and check out the great man's back catalogue.