ALOHA (Rated PG-13)
The Hawaiian greeting “aloha” has dual meaning, typically to convey both hello and goodbye.
Moreover, greater and deeper significance is attached, by native Hawaiians, to this word than merely a salutation that is one of welcome or farewell.
For Cameron Crowe, having directed the character-driven films “Jerry Maguire” and “Almost Famous,” his latest effort with “Aloha” is about his signature style of developing a relationship story.
Evidently, Crowe set about creating a highly personal film with “Aloha,” seeking to capture the unpredictability of life with a romantic story enhanced by the gorgeous setting of Hawaii’s natural beauty, which is lovingly depicted with expert cinematography.
Claiming that “Aloha” is “a movie about second chances,” Crowe might be trying to tap into the richer consequence of this widely-known Hawaiian word as he constructs a romantic comedy while honoring, apparently not to the satisfaction of purists, sacred Hawaiian traditions.
Controversy has followed this film, not just from hacked Sony emails that revealed studio executives disenchanted with test screenings, or something to that effect.
Moreover, Native Hawaiian groups have already condemned the movie for its failure to represent the American-Asian community.
To be sure, all of the major characters are Caucasian, with star Bradley Cooper in the pivotal role of Brian Gilcrest, a former military man now working as a defense contractor for billionaire industrialist Carson Welch (Bill Murray).
One of the film’s failings, and it has plenty, is that we know little of Brian’s background, other than it appears he had a tour of duty in Afghanistan and that he is not in favor with some of the military brass, namely General Dixon (Alec Baldwin), who mostly does a lot of yelling.
Arriving at the Hickam Air Force base in Hawaii on military transport, Brian spots his old flame Tracy (Rachel McAdams) on the tarmac, where she is waiting for her husband Woody (John Krasinski), coincidentally the pilot of the cargo plane that just brought Brian back to American soil.
Not only is Tracy now married, but she’s the mother of two children. Apparently, the Brian-Tracy relationship dates back to over a dozen years ago.
Tracy has moved on and made a family, and we’re not sure where Brian has been and what he has done during this extended period of time.
Where is Brian’s second chance? It may come from the Air Force Captain Allison Ng (Emma Stone), the hard-charging F-22 fighter pilot assigned to be his “handler” during his stay at the Air Force base, where his mission is not clearly defined but has something to do with his boss’ involvement in the US Space Program.
At first glance, Captain Ng, known among her fellow airmen as a “fast burner” and who has a firecracker personality, is so overly efficient and no-nonsense that her style seems destined for incompatibility with Brian’s carefree approach.
Of course, this is a romantic comedy, so the story arc for Brian and Allison to eventually fall for each other despite their superficial differences is obvious from the moment Allison belts out a traditional folk song with the locals at a native Hawaiian encampment in the mountains.
Perhaps less believable is that Arizona-born Emma Stone’s character is one-quarter Hawaiian, which appears to be a matter of convenience when she and Brian visit the actual leader of the Hawaiian Independence movement, Dennis “Bumpy” Kanahele, to seek a native blessing for a pedestrian gate on the Air Force base.
Whatever her heritage, Allison staunchly defends the Hawaiian traditions and respects the wishes of the native activists, putting herself somewhat at odds with Brian until it finally, as it must, dawn on him that Carson Welch’s ultimate intentions are less than honorable.
On the upside of “Aloha,” Cameron Crowe has assembled an appealing cast of Bradley Cooper, Rachel McAdams and Emma Stone, bringing enough combined charisma to ordinarily carry a film to certain heights.
The downside is that the talented actors are wasted in a feeble love triangle that has no more credibility than the Hawaiian heritage of a girl with bright yellow hair, fair skin and green eyes.
On its face, Cameron Crowe’s “Aloha” is a flimsy excuse for a romantic comedy, where the love story is about as fresh as wilted flowers on the traditional Hawaiian lei.
It’s better to say goodbye than hello to this cinematic misfire.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
