Aloha (2015)

It is not easy to encapsulate Aloha in a genre. It's not the usual Rom-Com, although the argument might lead one to believe that yes. The main thread describes the dramatic arc of a man centered on his work, capable of loving, but with difficulty to engage in lasting relationships. In addition, the film explores some manifestations of Hawaiian culture and parody some clichés about military conflicts and conspiracies, with unequal effectiveness.

The speed with which Aloha travels from one genre to another, sometimes in the middle of the same scene or dialogue, must have confused more than one viewer. It is understood that it has not reached a greater success, between the public and the critic.

But Aloha has beautiful details to watch and taste, combining serious and emotive subjects with a fine humor, in a delicate balance.

Also, it is a film with an outstanding casting. The protagonists do their work. Rachel McAdams is charming. It's a pleasure to see Bill Murray. And it is remarkable the discovery of Danielle Rose Russell, a young actress who delivers a memorable performance, to close a light and touching film, that tackles serious issues without taking them too seriously.

Fmovies: It is not often that I see a movie that leaves me feeling good, but this one did. The characters were likable people. The relationships between the characters were interesting. The plot was simple and sweet. It is a romantic comedy, so it's easy to see how things are going to turn out, but the ending was still a pleasant surprise. There are plenty of things throughout the movie that made me laugh.

I love the cast. Bill Murray is an all time favorite. Rachael McAdams is adorable as always. John Krazinski is handsome and silently funny. Emma Stone is beautiful and goofy. Bradley Cooper is hot and complicated. What more could you want in a romantic comedy?

Yesterday I watched "Aloha," and loved it. I've watched it twice, and I want to watch it again. I don't understand how it could have been panned repeatedly by the critics. "Aloha" is quirky, often funny, sweet, and endearing, even though it's a sprawling, rambling, story with intentionally cinema-verite-flavored camera work at times. Unpredictable, it's not your typical romcom!

Set in the magnificent and mystical landscapes of Hawaii, with the soothing backdrop of lilting Hawaiian music, it's simply unforgettable! And, the cast is stellar: Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, John Krasinski, Alec Baldwin, Bill Murray, and so many other top performances. We need more films that demand our attention and our intelligence, which show us characters who struggle with ambiguity, recognize life's joys, mysteries, and heartbreaks, and yet still manage to keep their integrity intact. This film will have you talking afterwards ~ and at the least, it will make you happy! Thank you, Cameron Crowe.

Aloha fmovies. This isn't really a rom-com. It's the story of a broken man trying to pick up the pieces after a contractor-deployment injury left him 18 broken bones; there's a line in the plane in the first few minutes that indicate he might have lost more, which changes the entire story and nature of possible romantic encounters. Romantic attachment is part of the story but it's way more serious than rom-com. The kind of comedy isn't as light as the "com" in "rom- com" either.

It's a strong film with a light mystical side to it, courtesy of a magical child-character and Emma Stone's character.

Peripherally it sheds light on the privatization of the military, and gives the viewer in inside view of Air Force culture in a place cut off from the mainland.

The acting is solid, the plot is inextricable from the setting, and there is a pretty clear plot.

As a film maker and former film school professor, I have a lot of my students as friends on Facebook. Many of them, most notably ones of Asian descent, came out full of vitriol and condemnation of this film, many of them before they had even seen it, as did a lot of the popular media.

IGNORE THEM! This is Cameron Crowe back in form. The film in no way disrespects Hawaiian culture or ignores its aboriginal and Asian populations, in fact it celebrates them. Emma Stone as a character named Allison Ng ("My dad was half Chinese and half Hawaiian... so I'm 1/4 Hawaiian") had to be played by a white actress in that she is referencing exactly that desire of some white people to pawn themselves off as ethic. She does it marvelously.

In fact the whole cast is amazing, with a script that absolutely sparkles, especially in its frequent nods to non-verbal communication. The last, most moving and completely wordless scene is worth the price of admission. Danielle Rose Russell's performance in this scene is breathtaking, and she is completely luminous through out, even though she has only a handful of lines.

Others with only handfuls of lines who make the film really shine are John Krazinski, Bill Murray and Alex Baldwin. The three leads are all amazing, with Stone a little over the top (tho appropriate for her character) and I think this is as good a work as Rachel McAdams has ever done.

I have to admit that the plotting of the whole military contractor subplot had a few too many little deus ex machina bows tied around it, but it was all maguffin for the beautiful insights into human heart and its connections anyway. And not nearly as preposterous as the embarrassing Elizabethtown.

I put a lot of store in IMDb ratings, and I have never seen them as far off the mark as they are with this film. I am a progressive, and expect cultural respect from Hollywood, but this may be another sad case of the hidden ability for random accusations of political incorrectness to cow the media.

This movie is somehow all over the place, threads begin but do not end, connections exist but how and why is not explained. I felt like I was watching a movie that is great inside the head of the writer/director but he knows the story to well and forgets to tell us half of it.It's like it is trying to be everything for everybody and while doing that failing in all aspects. The whole military plot thing is strange, lots of people are just there and we are never told why or even who they are.

This is not a feel good movie, it is a feel strange movie leaving you with lots of questions, the main one being why?