Aloha Movie Blurb by Shale June 1, 2015 You can't say I wasn't warned. I've read articles complaining about this movie and the aggregate critics on Rotten Tomatoes only gave it 18% fresh and only 40% of audiences liked it. The Critics Consensus: Meandering and insubstantial. They also faulted writer-director Cameron Crowe for the problems. But, I am a sucker for romantic drama movies so I finally went to see it today. The movie did jump around a bit establishing where everyone was coming from. Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper) was in the military, then went civilian and tied in with a super rich industrialist Carson Welch (Bill Murray) in some shady rip off in Afghanistan, where he got seriously wounded but lived with messed up legs and a limp. He is returning to Hawaii as an inside man with Welch on a deal for joint military/civilian space program to put up satellites. The military boss, who doesn't care much for Gilcrest is Gen Dixon (Alec Baldwin). Brian & Gen. Dixon The Air Force assigns Capt. Allison Ng (Emma Stone) to assist Brian and keep an eye on him. Brian doesn't care for a handler and keeps their relationship very formal and minimal. But, this is a romantic drama and it is Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone - so, yeah. Brian & Allison Have a Beer Also on Hawaii is Brian's old girlfriend from about 13 years past, Tracy (Rachel McAdams) who is now married to Lt. Col. Woody Woodside (John Krasinski), a quiet, uncommunicative guy who flies secret mission for the Air Force. Tracy obviously loved Brian but he stood her up one time too many so she left. Allison, Brian and Tracy Thrown Together Oh, Tracy has 2 kids a young boy who is hers with Woody and a 13-year-old daughter Grace (Danielle Rose Russell) whose father is a mystery. Don't want to spoil it but you noticed that 13-year thing came up twice. That's the background. If you saw the trailers to this movie as I have several times, all the good lines and scenes are in it. Especially the cute meeting of Brian and Woody in the kitchen that is nothing but looks and a little touching that speaks volumes to any competition the husband and former lover might have. The movie definitely has problems but sometimes you feel like going just because of the actors you like.
