Review of Aloha (2015) by Marko V — 23 Jan 2016

I see what Cameron Crowe was shooting for, I do. However, the execution is overly sentimental (Yes, even for Crowe) and absolutely aimless. Aloha follows a military contractor as he heads back to Hawaii to facilitate a deal between the locals and his employer.

For starters, what a waste of a great cast. Everyone is either reduced to an exposition machine or a caricature. This isn't their fault, but Crowe's, who doesn't really seem to know where he wants these characters to go.

From a writing standpoint, this is a weak film with cliche after cliche. If you think you know where the characters will end up, chances are you'll be right. As for the tone, Crowe has always stuck with light, familial drama, sprinkled with some comedy, but this film is all over the place, especially near the end where the tone shifts almost to a parody of Crowe's films.

I won't spoil it, but it was one of the few times when I literally asked myself if that just happened aloud. Overall, this is certainly a miss from Crowe and one that can be passed up for something better.