For his latest gay outing,
Almodovar has managed to combine the two elements of his work that I have always
been so satisfied with, sexuality and politics, and created a fun, yet
intelligent future cult-classic.
The story is almost
entirely set within a plane that is flying aimlessly above Spain with a broken
landing gear. The stars of the film are
the cabin crew and business class guests, all of which have secrets that will
eventually come out. Due to the trouble
with the flight, the crew has drugged the economy class passengers and is left to
entertain the quirky bourgeois flyers in the front. This set up allows for the action to unfold
like a play, which descends into drugs, drink and sex in order to kill time as
they wait to hear what is to be of their fate from the traffic control below…
(Needless to say) The
cabin crew that Almodovar has created are a loveable collection of hypersexual
gay men and the film manages to celebrate and stereotype their sexuality in
equal measure. They begin, and remain,
the heroes of the flight and everything from the décor to the cinematography,
the language to the music, the acting and the reacting all centre on them as
confident and in control, strong gay characters.
Sexuality aside, it is
the allegorical political narrative that gives the film it’s intrigue and
staying power. Throughout the film it is
hinted that there is political and financial corruption on the ground as they
fly, and that there is even a character on board who may be arrested for
channeling money away from public construction projects. The metaphor of the drugged proletariat class
in the plane flying around aimlessly as the authorities below try to figure out
the corrupt problems of the country is a metaphor that transcends Spanish
borders and could be applied to all of Europe (if not the world).
The film should be
loved by fans of fun colourful cinema, but can be enjoyed on an allegorical
level too - even without an understanding of the inner workings of Spanish politics...
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