Why I Work

My boss sent this picture - this was the view from his room as he ate breakfast with his new wife.
He said he was the happiest he's ever been

Hey, I'm glad for the man

Guess this is why I work

Happy Wednesday, everyone

Movie Review: Aloha

Aloha can mean hello or goodbye in Hawaii.  Or, in the case of this movie title, it can mean snoozefest. There is no real point to this movie. I sat there watching it, a few weeks ago, and not caring about what was happening to the people. The only good thing is the setting – Hawaii is absolutely beautiful and the colors pop on screen. I wish I could say that was true for the acting. Bradley Cooper looks good, crinkles his baby blues, and meanders through the film. Rachel McAdams is pretty and she tries to look annoyed at Bradley. Emma Stone (whom I normally like a lot) is pretty and is trying way too hard in this film to be believable as a tough taskmaster who’s in charge of managing Bradley.  

The general gist of the film is how Bradley Cooper, as a defense contractor, learns about a secret satellite launch and has to foil the scheme. But the film is billed as a romantic comedy. Thus there are mixed messages and none of the plot works. The flirtation is not steamy. The evil doing is not that tense. Even more disappointing is that Aloha was directed by Cameron Crowe. What was he thinking?

 

I’m guessing the film crew surfed a lot and drank Mai Tais. They could write off a nice trip to Hawaii and hope for success in DVD and streaming. All I shall say is aloha………..goodbye, don’t waste your time.

Movie Review: The Descendants

George Clooney keeps getting better and better. I wrote that for an Ides of March review. Now I double triple my claim for The Descendants. Wow. The previews are deceiving. This looks like a comedy. The film has funny moments, but it is a serious look at family, life, connecting, tragedy, and Hawaii.

First - the scenery is gorgeous and Clooney's family in this film owns a nice slice of heaven. However, the land is in trust and cousins want to profit. Thus there's a huge vote coming up for whether to sell the land and to whom. Clooney's Matt Price has the final say. He's a lawyer and the key trustee - a lot of responsibility to his heritage and the descendants.

Second - Clooney's wife is hospitalized for a coma. She was in a boating accident and the prognosis isn't good. Clooney's dealing with his ten year old daughter, Scottie, and a teen daughter, Alex. She's been at boarding school due to drugs/drink/mischief. This father's got his hands full and has not been dialed in for years. Obviously, since Alex informs him her mother has been cheating on him. He's bewildered, shocked, sad, and then realizes he'd been out of touch all along.

The Descendants has everyone questioning their relationships, loves, and priorities. Directed by Alexander Payne, the film's subtle humor and sly viewpoints prove successful. Oscar buzz galore - Clooney is superb and Shailene W. (Alex) is intense with her unwavering, unforgiving teen stare.

Hawaii is a wonderful backdrop, but even paradise has its troubles. Aloha to an excellent film.