Aloha
Aloha
is such a disaster, even Bill Murray can’t save it.
Bradley Cooper stars as Brian - a legendary military contractor
returning to Hawaii for five days, which, for him, holds the promise of
the future, and the ghosts of the past.
He used to be in the military, left when the cutbacks started, ended up
working as a contractor in Afghanistan, almost died in a horrific
attack in Kabul, and took this gig because he needs the money.
However, everywhere he goes, Brian is reminded of what used to be,
including the woman who got away, Tracy (Rachel McAdams). Along the
way, he finds himself paired with the energetic Allison (Emma Stone),
and, because she looks like Emma Stone, Brian finds himself falling for
the young, idealistic pilot.
Why is Brian in Hawaii?
Will anyone find out?
Writer/director Cameron Crowe is trying so very very hard to make a
Cameron Crowe movie with Cameron Crowe moments, Cameron Crowe
characters, Cameron Crowe dialogue and Cameron Crowe use of music.
However, he forgot the Cameron Crowe magic.
Aloha is a messy jumble of a movie desperately
seeking meaningful deepness, when it should be looking for a plot.
Maybe Crowe is trying to create a character study as we watch Brian
stumbling and fumbling through the five days and all sorts of nuggets
and clues are dropped about his past, his mistakes, his regrets and his
reason for being back in Hawaii, but too little is given to the
audience. We have to dig through the haze to get half a prize.
Every big moment lacks the proper development to make it meaningful.
Every great speech lacks context to give it impact, so the dialogue
comes off as forced.
The plot becomes badly explained, instead of mysterious, which leads to
us jumping from scene to scene with no flow and a lack of something
tying it all together.
Worst of all, the entire story with McAdams and the past relationship
she had with Brian is meaningless and pointless. You could drop the
whole subplot and it wouldn’t make one difference in Aloha.
Then, we have a big conflict and climax dumped on us, which leads to
one of the longest dénouements you have ever seen in a movie.
You kind of know it’s over, but Crowe hasn’t figured it
out, so Aloha continues on for 15 minutes or so to a big scene
that feels wrong, damaging and selfish in its own way, even though
Crowe wants this to be some warm, triumphant, happy moment.
Aloha should have been so much more. It just
isn’t.
Aloha is rated PG-13 for some language
including suggestive comments.
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