ALOHA (2015)

Genre: Comedy/Romance
Director: Cameron Crowe
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Bill Murray, John Krasinski, Danny McBride, Alec Baldwin
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Rating: PG13 (Brief Coarse Language)
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/AlohaTheMovie

Opening Day: 4 June 2015

Synopsis: In Aloha, a celebrated military contractor (Bradley Cooper) returns to the site of his greatest career triumphs and reconnects with a long-ago love (Rachel McAdams) while unexpectedly falling for the hard-charging Air Force watchdog (Emma Stone) assigned to him. From Academy Award®-winner Cameron Crowe, the writer-director behind such films as Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous, Aloha also stars Bill Murray, John Krasinski, Danny McBride, and Alec Baldwin.

Movie Review:

Aloha from Hawaii, where the people are ridiculously good looking. At least, they were, when you look at the US military base containing Allison Ng (Emma Stone), Tracy Woodside (Rachel McAdams) and Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper).

The protagonist, Gilcrest is the disillusioned ex-military man, present-contractor who returns to Hawaii in disgrace for one last chance to get back into the good books of Carson Welch (Bill Murray). Once in Hawaii, he is immediately acquainted with his babysitter, Ng, and reunited with the ex-girlfriend, Tracy, now married to John “Woody” Woodside (John Krasinski). Gilcrest and Ng eventually fall in love (no surprises here), Tracy and Woody remain married, and rockets were launched into space.

For someone clueless about Hawaii (other than the World War Two attack on Pearl Harbour), the film provided an interesting introduction to Hawaiian history, myths and legends. This was admittedly not given much screen time, but when it did, triumphed the romantic storyline – but more on that later. Despite criticism that director Cameron Crowe whitewashed the cast and miscast Emma Stone (who was actually, one of the highlights of the show), he did an admittedly fair job of showcasing the effects of the US occupation and military base, which is encroaching on the rights and territory of the Hawaiian nation.

However, not the same could be said about the romance between Gilcrest and Ng, Air Force Captain-turned-babysitter. Perhaps it was the unbelievable speed of falling in love, the awkward flirting, and the clichéd dating scenes... but the couple felt like they were forced together in order to distract Gilcrest from breaking up the Woodsides’ marriage. On the other hand, the remnants of romantic tension between the ex-couple, Gilcrest and Tracy, were on point, with them dancing around each other and the elephant in the room until Tracy reaches her boiling point. Which, actually, didn’t seem to change much of the status quo.

In the midst of the history lessons and awkward flirting is the underappreciated Woody, an Air Force pilot whose marriage with Tracy was threatened by Gilcrest’s reappearance. As Woody, Krasinski of NBC’s The Office fame provided the much-needed comic relief and distraction from the slow-moving main storylines, with his bro-scenes with Gilcrest being the high point and most memorable scenes of the film. Stone also contributed to the comedy, albeit through playing up the stereotypical young, enthusiastic and idealistic overachiever who worms her way into everyone’s good books. As with her recent film outings (i.e. The Amazing Spider-Man movies, Birdman), it seems that Stone can do no wrong.

As a rom-com, Aloha misses the mark for both genres, with a somewhat stilted romance, and not enough comedy to be convincing. Instead, there is a sense of uneasiness that continued throughout the film. As mentioned, this is partially due to the awkward flirting, as well as the constant foreshadowing of the arrival of a Hawaiian god by Mitchell (Jaeden Lieberher), Tracy’s and Woody’s son. The god never arrives, much like the film’s promise to deliver beyond its good-looking cast and the idyllic setting of Hawaii.

Movie Rating:

(Part Hawaiian tourism advert, part eye-candy fest, Aloha had more misses than hits, resulting in a largely forgettable movie)

Review by Goh Yan Hui