On Friday night I went with one of my besties to see the new Cameron Crowe movie "Aloha." We had a triple header evening - dinner at Shake Shack, movie at the SuperLux, then dessert at Pinkberry. Now that is how you start a weekend!
I had seen the preview for "Aloha" at the last two movies I went to ("The Longest Ride" and "Pitch Perfect 2"). I wanted to see it for several reasons:
1) The movie is set in Hawaii and that scenery is always beautiful
2) It stars Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams and John Krasinski
3) It was directed by Cameron Crowe who also directed some of my favorites like "Say Anything" and "Jerry Maguire" and "Almost Famous"
We settled into our jumbo leather recliners (I am telling you, this is the only way you should ever see a movie) and after a few previews, it was time to set sail to Hawaii.
*SPOILER ALERT! Do not read on if you don't want to know anything about the plot of this movie.*
The film begins with Bradley Cooper's character, Brian, arriving back to Hawaii after being away for 12 years. He has returned as an employee of a billionaire (played by Bill Murray) and they are working together to send a satellite up into space.
On the ground in Hawaii, Brian is confronted by his old flame, Tracy, played by the always perfect Rachel McAdams. I swear she hasn't aged at all since "The Notebook." In every interaction between Tracy and Brian you can see that she still loves him. She still pines for what they had.
Also, I had forgotten that Bradley and Rachel played love interests in "Wedding Crashers." Reunited!
Despite her affection for Brian, Tracy is married to someone else - Woody, played by John Krasinski. This was a very different kind of role for Krasinski, who is usually the one cracking jokes. As Woody, he is very quiet, reserved and standoffish. Even though he doesn't say much, his butt looks amazing in his army uniform. Just sayin'.
As he prepares to launch the satellite, Brian is partnered with U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Allison Ng, played by Emma Stone. In this part, Stone is a highly motivated, overachieving, eager beaver. She likes to do everything according to the rules and she never stops talking.
Naturally, Captain Ng and Brian develop a romantic chemistry. In fact, the scene where they spend a day off together is one of the cutest and most charming in the whole movie.
While the Tracy/Brian/Captain Ng love triangle is the clear star of the film, there were also some excellent supporting characters. As I mentioned, Bill Murray as the greedy billionaire, Alec Baldwin as Captain Ng's boss, Danny McBride as his second in command and Jaeden Lieberher as Tracy's son Mitchell (you may recognize him as the star of the movie "St. Vincent," also with Bill Murray).
"Aloha" clocks in at one hour and forty five minutes. When it ends, you'll find yourself disappointed that you don't get to spend more time with these characters. I loved the sincerity of their flaws and the complicated nature of their relationships. Definitely add this movie to your watch list.
*All images courtesy of the "Aloha" Facebook page.
