At one level I'M SO EXCITED is very reminiscent of AIRPLANE! (1980) and AIRPLANE 2 (1982) in the way director Pedro Almodovar parodies the conventions and plots characteristic of disaster movies. The stereotypes are all there: the bisexual pilots, gay male cabin staff, compliant female staff, and a rogues' gallery of passengers including a Queen of S&M, a professional killer, a tycoon on the run after a financial scandal, and a young couple celebrating their honeymoon both physically and emotionally. Many of the jokes are crude as well as sexist; in this world gender roles are clearly (and it seems immutably) defined, with males reasserting their authority, both physical as well as sexual. If they fail to achieve this, then drugs will help them achieve their ends. At another level, however, Almodovar asks us to reflect beyond the superficialities of the jokes and consider how we cope with any situation in which there appears to be no way out. Do we just accept it with stoical endeavor, or make light of it? In the case of the protagonists in I'M NO EXCITED, the latter option seems more appropriate - at least they will try to obtain momentary pleasure (even if it is only visceral pleasure) as they progress inexorably towards their doom. Although the story ends happily, we should nonetheless use our experience of the film to reflect on our own behavior. Technically speaking, Almdovar's touch is as sure as ever as he crams a profusion of material into the film's short (90 minute) running-time, while ensuring that we never lose sight of any the characters involved.
Review of I'm So Excited!
