I'm So Excited!

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.

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.

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 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.

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.