Energetic, outrageously camp and frequently funny, Pedro Almodóvar’s latest film is a welcome throwback to the raucous comedies the director made in the 1980s.
I’m So Excited! begins with cameos by Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz as a pair of airport ground crew members whose distracted flirting leads to a problem with the landing gear of Peninsula flight 2549 just before the plane takes off. Once in the air, the pilot and co-pilot (Antonio de la Torre and Hugo Silva) prepare the crew for potential disaster, leaving the three gay stewards (Javier Cámara, Carlos Areces and Raúl Arévalo) to distract the first class passengers as best they can, having already put all of Economy to sleep with a cocktail of knockout pills.
Naturally, word leaks out and soon the passengers are all forced to confront the issues in their lives. Chief amongst these are: Bruna (Lola Dueñas), a thirty-something psychic who doesn’t want to die a virgin; Norma (Cecilia Roth), a dominatrix/madam who runs a powerful blackmail ring; Ricardo (Guillermo Toledo), an actor who’s just walked out on his suicidal girlfriend (Paz Vega); Mr. Mas (José Luis Torrijo), a banker who’s wanted for fraud; and Infanta (José María Yazpik), a shady character who seems to have mob connections.
Almodóvar has referred to I’m So Excited! as ‘my gayest film ever’ and it’s hard to disagree, even though it’s up against some pretty stiff competition. To that end, the campy performances are excellent, particularly Javier Cámara, who’s very funny as catty head steward Joserra and Raúl Arévalo as the hilariously up-for-anything co-pilot, while there’s strong, albeit less exaggerated comic support from both Lola Dueñas and Cecilia Roth.
On top of that, the script maintains a snappy rhythm throughout, bouncing gleefully back and forth between moments of high camp, outrageously filthy dialogue and soapy melodrama. In particular, Almodóvar has a knack for a well crafted comic crescendo, most notably a cockpit-bound set piece where several characters are all crowded in together as resentments, jealousies and jaw-dropping revelations come thick and fast.
Almodóvar’s trademarked bright colours are out in full force here, thanks to José Luis Alcaine’s suitably lurid cinematography and there’s an enjoyably zippy score from regular collaborator Alberto Iglesias. In addition, Almodóvar orchestrates a number of joyous moments, most notably a wonderful finale and a show-stopping lip-synch performance of the title number that will have you grinning like an idiot.
Essentially, Almodóvar has taken the template of Airplane! and turned it into a soapy sex comedy; your (air) mileage may vary, but I’m So Excited! is a lot of fun if you’re prepared to go along for the ride.
– Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Official Trailer