I feel sorry for this movie. Cameron Crowe tries to step outside his comfort zone and do something different not just for him but for studio films in general, then release it in the early summer period. And what happens? Do people hail it as the refreshing counter-programming charmer he was intending? It flops at the box office–expected–but also gets savaged by the critics in a way most unexpected.
For that reason, I can’t help overlooking the movie’s considerable flaws to really focus on what works with it and champion it as something that’s actually not a total time waste. That may all sound like damning with faint praise, but…well…[crickets].
What Works: A terrific cast, beautiful scenery, decent performances, and an unusual plot are the main draws here. I particularly liked just about any scene that Danny McBride, Alec Baldwin, or Bill Murray are in and if you get more than one in a scene? Icing on the cake.
Emma Stone is also effortlessly appealing as a character that could easily have been ridiculous. She is given some pretty clunky dialogue throughout this movie, but manages to really sell it. Although the Hawaiian locations may be the film’s most attractive star.
Plus, I just generally like the totally new idea of making a rom-com about defense contractors and military types. How many films can say that they mix talk of satellite defense with true love?
What Doesn’t: Other reviewers have had a lot of fun tearing into the film’s uneven tone, the all-over-the-place main characters, and Bradley Cooper’s hazy, undefined lead performance, and none of that is really wrong. I just think there’s more here to enjoy than to hate, and choose to focus on that.
What I Would Have Done Differently: An even tone and clear vision are always preferable but so few movies are really trying for anything different, why kick one that did try and maybe came up a little short but is still worth a watch?