Les amants passagers

This movie is very funny, and yes, very light. Therefore, if you go to theater expecting another "Todo sobre mi madre", please be aware that you will be for sure highly disappointed - so maybe you should do something else. This is an "Airport" disaster movie, set in Almodovar's world and populated by his trademark characters. You can easily imagine the final outcome, don't you?

I found the result of this crossover wildly entertaining, and refreshing. But not silly: a couple of themes thrown in the story – the ones related to the supposed financial crimes of one of the characters - gave me the feeling that Almodovar is trying to say something even about the current situation of Spain and Europe (and the setting of the last scene, with all those empty interiors, that shameful waste of money, looks like a clear statement from the author about what should be actually called a "disaster" in nowadays world).

I am not Spanish: so maybe what I think about the relevance of Pedro Almodovar's work for Spanish culture could easily be wrong. Still, I am under the impression that you can hardly find in the whole world another artist that has so single-handedly influenced and changed the mindset of a country like this man has done for Spain in the last thirty years (and it's a long way, from "Marcelino pan y vino" to Agrado and his sisters). In my opinion, Spain has been made a better place, by the Almodovar revolution. God bless him.

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.

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.

A plane malfunctions and faced with possible imminent death, pilots, crew and passengers reveal their innermost secrets.

After having tranquilised the passengers of the economy class, crew members only have to deal with the few business class passengers and their eccentricities but it is the very gay cabin crew that are called to the rescue.

Unusual due to it s overly camp overtones, this one is a little gem. It is not often we face the inevitable with such fresh humour and intelligent satire. When close to dying it seems we do not care about having our innermost secrets revealed and Almodovar infuses humour with realism, in a masterly way as we have come to expect from him.

Much as I can see why some have rushed to label this as too overdone, I would disagree and it clearly showed that a heterosexual viewer can both enjoy and appreciate a mucho camp romp.

"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."