Los amantes pasajeros

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.

This film is about the pilots, business class crew and business class passengers on a fateful flight to Mexico City.

"Los Amantes Pasajeros" tells a really funny story about eleven clichéd characters on a transatlantic flight. There is much alcohol, drugs, camp characters and of course lots of sex (both gay and straight). The plot is so hilarious that no one can take it seriously! Every business class passenger has a story, and a distinct personality. When they are trapped in the flight, literally hell breaks loose. I really like the three flight attendants, they are just so funny! When the plane was going to land, I could not believe it was already 90 minutes into the film - I thought it was just 30 minutes in! The journey was so hilarious that time just flew by at sonic speed.

"Los Amantes Pasajeros" is very unlike other Pedro Almodóvar films, in fact I don't even remember him making such a camp and fluffy comedy before! I really loved every minute of it.

"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."

Sometimes you go into a movie simply wanting a little fun. After so many years of Pedro Almodovar making twisted psychodramas and searing romances, often to acclaim like Academy Award nominations/wins and film festivals across the world, we now have a total screwball comedy that is another 'bottle' comedy from summer last year (remember This is the End all staged in one place). It's a filmmaker not going for anything serious, anything too deep, anything that will be About The Human Condition (in caps). And if there is, that's icing on the cake. This is just about farce, in the lightest ways for this filmmaker now in his latter years.

Here you get to see what these characters do at the end of their self-involved ropes. There's a lot of energy and a lot of silliness with these characters, played by actors who are familiar players in this director's oeuvre, but the sketches click mostly. It's only when Almodovar leaves the plane for a scene where a character calls a woman and we see her story for a bit that it drags and loses its energy.

But those male flight attendants are hysterical, in timing and how they express everything as BIG and frantic as possible, and when the music number of the film's title hits it finally releases one of only thinking of the song as that scene from Saved by the Bell (or maybe it's just for me it did). Fast, loose, and knowing how goofy it is, its movie-making that hits the spot at the end of a long day and maybe with a little drink on the side (minus he mescaline).

A plane has problems with the landing gear and so it is circling around waiting for a landing path. And while waiting for the landing the crew and the passengers do and tell a lot.

I read the movie is also supposed to be a farce of Spanish politics. Since I know absolutely nothing about Spanish politics I have missed it all. Maybe if I was familiar I would have liked the movie even more.

But it was still entertaining. My favorites of the movie are the flamboyant flight attendance. They have a great comedic presence and timing. I think one of my favorite parts of the movie is when they perform "I'm so excited" for the passengers.

At the same time it didn't bring as much humor with the passengers. They were all outrageous characters but it didn't go too far and we didn't get to connect too much with them. Of course this is a farce comedy and one shouldn't expect too much depth but I feel a little more could have been done.

Still it is a pretty entertaining and unique comedy. I would recommend it for people who aren't too offended by sexual humor and enjoy some lighthearted comedy.