Review: Aloha (2015)

Whilst on the hunt for an easy to watch Rom Com type movie to pass the time the other evening, I stumbled across Aloha. This was the first time I’d ever heard of it but the cast list alone was enough for me to decide it was worth a shot. Check out this cast! Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Bill Murray, John Krasinski, Danny McBride & Alec Baldwin. A winner for sure, right?

This is the part where I sum up the plot for you, in case you’ve never heard of the film. But I really can’t. I just don’t get what it’s about! Bradley Cooper is some kind of military/spaceman guy who’s been sent to Hawaii for a welcoming ceremony, Emma Stone is the military’s youngest and brightest, with the task to follow Bradley Cooper around like a lost puppy. John Krasinski is a colleague of Bradley Cooper’s who doesn’t talk to his wife, like, at all. Alec Baldwin and Bill Murray are important douchebags, and now my head hurts!

Aloha wasn’t a boring film at all, I was entertained throughout, but in the glimpses when I actually understood what was going on, the plot was terribly predictable which ruined the crucial moments. Both Emma Stone and John Krasinski are so great at that dry, sarcastic humour, and they just didn’t get the chance to shine this time around, which was a shame.

Admittedly, I know absolutely nothing about Hawaii’s history and culture. My knowledge goes as far as me excitedly exclaiming ‘Hey! Those kids are doing the same dance as the kids in Lilo & Stitch!’, which even I know is terribly ignorant of me. I think the whole film would have made more sense had I more knowledge on the subject matter, so I’m not blaming the film entirely here.

My favourite part was witnessing the changes in Rachel McAdams and John Krasinski’s relationship. I could really feel the heartbreak, and there was one particular scene that stood out for me, where Krasinski and Cooper are in the kitchen having a full blown conversation without saying a word. We as the audience know what they’re saying through the powers of subtitles, but their facial expressions match what they’re saying perfectly.

Overall, Aloha was enjoyable, but confusing, and sadly, a forgettable experience for me I think.

Currently Watching: 30 Rock

My fiance and I have been burning through a lot of TV dramas at dinner time in recent months, so we’ve been on the hunt for something a little lighter. The IT Crowd took us two weeks, we loved it that much. Oops. Community took us a little longer, but we thoroughly enjoyed that too. The new season has just started as well, huzzah!

He suggested 30 Rock, and my response was something along the lines of ‘Ugh, that really old show with the Trinity Killer in?! No thanks!’. Which earned me an odd look. I then find out that 3rd Rock from the Sun and 30 Rock are two very different shows, and that 30 Rock was modern, and set in the Rockefeller Center of all places, where we got engaged. Double oops!

I’d like to think that there’s someone out there like me who thought the same, but I highly doubt that. Moving swiftly on…

30 Rock is a sitcom revolving around Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), her boss Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) and the rest of her colleagues at NBC Studios. It took me about 5 episodes to really get into it, the first few episodes were pretty slow and uneventful, but it really ramped up out of nowhere and now I’m completely in love with it.

There isn’t a single weak character in this show, everyone has their moment to shine, but I find Liz Lemon such an amazingly relatable character. Never have I shouted ‘that’s me!’ so much whilst watching TV. Just a few examples:

We’d been trying to steam through as many episodes as we could while our Amazon Prime account was still active, but the other day we found the entire box set at HMV for £20, so snatched it and ran to the till.

Has anyone else watched 30 Rock? Does it stay just as good throughout? We’ve just started Season 3!