REVIEW: Aloha

Directed by Cameron Crowe
2015 Romance Drama
1 hour 45 minutes
From Columbia Pictures

Starring
Bradley Cooper
Emma Stone
Rachel McAdams
Bill Murray
John Krasinski
Alec Baldwin

Well, I have to sort this one out... not just for you but for myself.  Why did I go?  Probably for the same reason you would... the cast.  Cooper, Stone and McAdams are all happening these days... all bankable... all likeable... all eye candy in their own ways.  And they can act.  One day there may be some Oscars for this trio.  I'll certainly stay tuned.

And being director-oriented as I can be, I like Cameron Crowe, too.  I'm more into the old directors, as you may have gathered, but today's crowd isn't bad at all.  You've likely seen his work... Almost Famous, the musical salute to groupies, was the best.  Jerry McGuire and Say Anything were certainly popular.  We Bought a Zoo was so-so...  Elizabethtown and Vanilla Sky not so much.  In addition to directing, Crowe is the writer and producer as well.  So whether you like or don't like one of his films, he's your guy. 

I can't say as I liked Aloha.  It was just ok.  Nothing was particularly horrible nor wonderful... although, again, it was nice spending a little bit of time with the three leads.  It concerns a military contractor who returns to Hawaii to work on a special and rather secretive project.  Much of the film and the dialogue concerns this project and I found the esoteric language and the time spent on it as being rather dull.  It's that simple.  I can't endure dull in my movies.  I'd rather have hatred than dull.

The secondary story-- and for me, way too secondary-- is the love story.  Our soldier boy is given a comely captain to look after his needs in the Aloha State while at the same time he runs into a former girlfriend, now married and a mother, who still is rather smitten with him.  What to do?

Back to that special project... it's the baby of a rich private citizen.  I thought of Richard Branson the whole time.  He wants to use his wealth to accomplish something in space and whether he does or not or how that works out, well, I'll leave it to you to buy your own ticket.  We have already guessed I didn't really much care how it all worked out.  I just wanted to say aloha and head for my car.

The secondary adult cast was all forgettable.  Two of them were doing a schtick they've done countless times before.  Krasinski needs to secure himself better parts, certainly bigger ones.  Doesn't he want to be a leading man?  Enough of the Gig Young roles.   

Oh perhaps there was one treat, at least for me as a former Hawaii resident... it was great to see the place again.  So let's be clear.  This was a pretty film.  The shots of the mountains, sea, beaches, skies, clouds, flora... it's all here and gorgeously showcased.  I wore an aloha shirt to my matinee and I'm wearing it for you.  Mai-Tai, anyone?

I have read reports that the native residents are restless.  They don't like the title... a careless and whimsical use of their sacred word.  I get it in a way (it's titled that for little more than getting you to the theater) but one wonders whether they just need a problem.  I also read that they don't like how they're represented or rather not represented as I think the case may be.  Well, ok, none of the lead actors are Hawaiian.  Ok.  But locals are seen throughout this film and not one of them is shown in any bad light, not that that wouldn't be ok with me if the script called for it.  But it doesn't.

So there you are.  Perhaps this is more a stream of consciousness than it is a review.  So, I might as well add that while I was sitting there thinking, wondering about what I have going on over the weekend, that it occurred to me all three leads have made films with Ryan Gosling and two of them, at least, had romances with him. 

Sorry, Cameron, I know this is not what you want to hear.

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