neumu [ cinematronic ]




	View From The Top
	Bruno Barreto Gwyneth Paltrow, Christina Applegate, Mark Ruffalo, Mike Myers, Candice Bergen, Kelly Preston, Rob Lowe 2003		Although finished, "View From the Top" sat, unreleased, for over a year, because the studio decision-makers at Miramax thought that a glossy, cheery flick with an airline theme was a bad bet after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The film, intended as a fluffy, cuddly kitten of a light romantic comedy, stars that darling Gwyneth Paltrow in ingenue mode. Its substance — a young woman escapes a dead-end small town by becoming the best flight attendant she can be — is inconsequential, and "View From the Top" is, at best, mildly amusing. Despite a contemporary setting, it has a faux, pastel '60s air, with a heroine who embraces a career of servitude. An all-pro cast, directed by Bruno Barreto ("Bossa Nova"), seems to be winging it. Paltrow is good-natured, pretty Donna, whose dreams drive her to excel at reminding you to put your tray-table in an upright position. Candice Bergen is Donna's mentor; Christina Applegate is Donna's best friend; Mark Ruffalo is the love interest; and Mike Myers flails for yucks as an earnest, wall-eyed flight-attendant trainer. This lands in the area between video rental and cable feed. With Kelly Preston and Rob Lowe.