"View From the Top," Gwyneth Paltrow's new movie about the trials and tribulations of life as a flight attendant, can be summed up in one key word: predictable.As far as romantic comedies go, this film fails on both accounts.The pathetically developed and hackneyed romance between Donna, the questionably stupid yet brave flight attendant (Paltrow) and Ted (Mark Ruffalo), the supposedly intelligent law student, is comparable to the comic element of the film, which is ... well, absent.How director Bruno Barrelo created a movie that fails to be neither comic nor romantic escapes me, but for this feat and this feat only, he deserves applause.Congratulations, Bruno Barrelo, for you've directed a movie that promises to grace an innumerable abundance of "Worst Movie of the Year" lists.
The film chronicles the life of Donna, a small town girl who appears doomed to work in a department store for the rest of her life, yet dreams of bigger and better things. While watching TV one lonely afternoon, she's inspired by a woman named Sally Weston (Candice Bergen), the biggest and best diva of the flight attendant industry.Suddenly, Donna has a revelation: becoming a flight attendant is her key to happiness and success.She lands a job with the infamous Sierra Airlines, a commuter company that forces its employees to don hot pink spandex dresses and mile-high hair, both of which recall the fashion-disastrous 80s.Do not despair, however, for it is here that Donna meets her friendly comrades -- Christine (Christina Applegate) and Sherry (Kelly Preston), both of whom are so stupid and ditzy that they probably don't know the difference between takeoff and landing. Eventually, Donna and Christine land more admirable jobs at Royalty Airlines, and it is at this point that Sherry completely disappears from the movie.Sherry, where did you go?
Throughout the rest of the film, Donna proceeds to fall in love with, leave and return to Ted, and realize that Christine is a back-stabbing thief.Above all else, however, she accomplishes all of her dreams and finds true happiness.Like I said: predictable.
One of many vexing questions that pervade the film: is Donna's character at all intelligent?One minute she's screwing up an interview with her ditzy responses and contemplating her "destiny" as a flight attendant."Paris, 1st class international," Donna dreams."It's the only road to happiness.It's my destiny."The next minute, she's acing an exam and teaching herself French.Perhaps her character is supposed to come off as an intellectual, but this aim, like so many others in the movie, is not realized.
Furthermore, must a small town girl wish for nothing more than a life as a flight attendant?Does the buck stop here?Apparently it does, at least in Donna's world.I can't help wondering why she didn't possess any desire to be a lawyer, a doctor or even a teacher.Perhaps her lack of lofty aim can be attributed to her aforementioned intelligence level.But a flight attendant?If nothing else, this movie speaks volumes as far as filling the stereotypical flight attendant void: unintelligent, valley girl blond conquers the world via airplane.If I, or anyone I knew, were a flight attendant, I would be quite insulted.
Question number two: Why, Gwyneth, why did you choose to take part in this debauchery?Gwyneth Paltrow isn't a bad actress.If anything, she's one of the few saving graces in this film.With the script given to her, she performed to the best of anyone's ability.However, after participating in fairly commendable films such as Shakespeare in Love and Sliding Doors, I question why she chose to add this film to her repertoire.Perhaps for the sole purpose of having fun, which is one positive thing that I can say about this movie: certain scenes are, in fact, a good time.
The most laughable scene of the movie falls in the beginning, when Donna, who has never flown before, gets on an airplane for her first stint as a flight attendant.Realizing all too late that she has a fear of flying, she proceeds to run up and down the aisles of the airplane screaming, "we're gonna crash!"
Another notable scene is the physical fight between Donna and Christine, which culminates with Christina Applegate shoving Gwyneth Paltrow's head into a loaf of bread.Nothing like a good ol' fist fight between two girls in skirts to save the dying animal.
Finally, the film ends with a note of life-altering advice: "Life is a series of arrivals and departures," muses Donna, "but I learned that there's more than one way to spread your wings."I'll end with a note of far more pertinent advice: save the $8 you'd spend going to see this movie and donate it to the Save Gwyneth Paltrow from Movie-Making Hell fund.
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