Charismatic actors/actresses and solid acting do not a great movie make and Aloha is one of the best examples this year. The cast is extraordinary here lead by Bradley Cooper, Rachel McAdams, and Emma Stone with bit parts by Bill Murray (It’s hard to tell but I think Bill Murray may be drunk for everyone of his scenes in Aloha), Alec Baldwin, and John Krasinski and yet, they are all in search of a compelling story.
For most of Aloha, it feels like we are just meandering around, unclear on what our main character’s true goals or obstacles are. It’s like the script was a few drafts away from cracking an idea worth filming. Everyone’s clearly in this because it’s a Cameron Crowe film. Unfortunately Crowe didn’t come through (like he usually does). I just wish he’d cut about 20 minutes, fixed the story issues, and had a little more fun. It’s not terrible and there are a couple of REALLY great scenes but it all amounts to an unfortunately forgettable film. Still, Crowe gets a near-lifetime pass. So what if this is a bit of a misstep. I’ll still be excited to see what he does next.