Written by Adam Mast
“Aloha” (PG-13)
Cameron Crowe’s latest effort, “Aloha,” is taking quite a beating critically, and the box office numbers aren’t exactly what a Crowe fan would hope for either. This film was initially slated for release last Christmas, but Sony Pictures pulled it from the schedule and decided to sandwich it between box office summer titans like “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Jurassic World.” This is a shame, because the sentimental, sweet-natured vibe at the heart of this flick would have been much more at home during the holiday season. Heck, the film itself even takes place during Christmas time.
In the well-intentioned romance “Aloha,” Bradley Cooper is Brian Gilcrest, a military contractor who returns to his old Hawaiian stomping grounds while doing top secret business for wealthy (and eccentric) entrepreneur Carson Welch (played with devilish glee by a sorely underused Bill Murray). While there, Gilcrest reconnects with his estranged ex-wife Tracy Woodside (Rachel McAdams) all while being forced to put up with cute, busybody watch dog, Allison Ng (Emma Stone). And as expected, a love connection comes into play.
It seems that more has been made of the lack of ethnic cast members in this movie than the imperfections of the story itself, but given that Crowe is speaking on behalf of Hawaiian culture, I suppose that’s a fair gripe. A lot of the criticism appears to be falling on Crowe’s casting of doe-eyed Emma Stone whose character is repeatedly referred to in the picture as “1/4 Hawaiian.”
I didn’t get so much caught up in Stone’s lack of Hawaiiian heritage as is I did in the annoyances of her somewhat over-the-top character, and that’s incredibly disheartening because I positively adore Emma Stone. In “Aloha,” she’s playing a character that’s a little too precocious for her own good. Stone offers up a few terrific moments (her little dance with Welch is random and odd but strangely appealing, and a scene in which she helps Gilcrest broker a land ownership deal with a reputable islander is wonderful) but for the most part, she simply tries too hard. It should be noted though, that her somewhat labored dialogue doesn’t help matters. Neither does her lack of chemistry with her co-star.
Bradley Cooper is fun here as a selfish but lovable military man who talks a big game but has a tough time actually communicating with the women in his life. As written, Gilcrest is a complicated, conflicted sort, and Cooper is solid in the role. John Krasinski has a handful of nice moments as Tracy’s new husband, John “Woody” Woodside, a soldier who doesn’t appear to speak, either literally or emotionally. In one of the more amusing moments in this picture, Gilcrest and Woodside have a silent exchange that is translated by way of subtitles.
As entertaining as Cooper and Krasinski are, the strongest performance in “Aloha” comes courtesy of a terrific Rachel McAdams. In fact, McAdams is so good in this picture that I found myself hoping that her character might get back together with Gilcrest, even though that very idea is detrimental to the film. Having said that, McAdams is sweet and charming, and her rapport with Cooper is spot on.
As expected, Crowe’s dialogue is bubbly and alive, but where his word play truly sparkled in his strongest efforts (see: “Say Anything,” “Jerry Maguire,” and “Almost Famous”), it falls a little flat here because the characters are not as well defined and the overall plot simply isn’t as engaging.
Still, “Aloha” is far from being a bad movie. As a Hawaiian culture lesson and a real look at relationships, this film has nothing on Alexander Payne’s “The Descendents,” but then Crowe’s goals with this picture are not nearly as as lofty. There is a likeability factor here, and there are quite a few effective moments to speak of, including an emotionally satisfying closing scene between Gilcrest and Tracy’s daughter. And even the biggest cynic has to admire Crowe’s optimistic spirit. The guy always means well, and that says a lot about his character. In the end, this wasn’t the train wreck I was expecting. It’s hardly up to the standard Crowe set for himself earlier in his career, but I’ll take “Aloha” over the misguided “Elizabethtown” any day.
