4/10

“Aloha” is a collection of scenes that are acceptable out of context, but together they sprout an uneven direction that boosts Director Cameron Crowe’s most disappointing film to date. That’s not to say that i was angry coming out of this film. Readers of mine know when i am angry just from reading my words. I would say my emotion is that of disappointment for a film i have been looking forward to for the better part of eight months. Bradley Cooper stars as a legal defense worker who teams up with a pilot (Emma Stone) to convince the natives of Hawaii to sign off on a satellite launch that will enhance our technological advancements over our competitors. Over time, the two find that they have a lot in common spiritually, and learn some terrifying truths about the people they work for. In the middle of all of this is Cooper’s ex-girlfriend (Rachel McAdams) who is now married with two children and searching for clarity with the man who left her behind. After watching the trailer for this film, a lot of people are going to be fooled into thinking that this is a cute and quirky Romantic Comedy that is the perfect compliment to a nice night out with a significant other. The romance is there even if it is shuffled under a relationship that just doesn’t work in age (13 year age difference), or in their on screen chemistry. The couple’s comedic banter serves them well as friendly acquaintences, but the second it turns romantic is when things feel awkward for the audience. To add to this fault, Crowe throws a 360 turn to his audience and turns his film into a sci-fi feature among the likes of a Marvel superhero movie. One of the film’s biggest characters makes a villainous turn out of nowhere that feels cartonnish and out of sorts with the tempo created in the film’s first two acts. By the end of the movie, i was almost laughing at how bizarre this film was. It’s like Crowe made a social commentary film on the power and consequences of the world’s leaders and then decided to force two people in love in the middle of it. The film would’ve been much better with sticking to the triangle tug of war that the trailer promised us. It all feels like Crowe pitched two films to the studios and they didn’t like either film by themselves, but approved a science experiment gone wrong creating two different tones in genre that are sloppily mixed. The movie is shot well at least, and there are some funny scenes that left me with a smile on my face. I guess the biggest tragedy for this film is going to be in it’s lack of rememberance. For a director who crafted Hollywood top shelf like “Jerry Maguire” and “Almost Famous”, it feels like he has lost focus with his audience here. The great main cast, as well as honorable supporting cast like Alec Baldwin, Danny Mcbride, Bill Murray, and John Krasinski really deserved more. Krasinski especially is reduced to an adult who barely talks throughout the film. I’m not doubting that there are adults who act like this, but not to their children while also showing off his love for them. Aloha is an appropriate word for a film as uneven as this. It’s a word that means hello and goodbye. You the audience should trust my insights and journey to the latter.