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Emma Stone

The Croods: A New Age – Stone Age Meets the Modern Age

February 23, 2021 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

If you want to look at the present, sometimes we need to start with the past.

Following the events of 2013’s The Croods, The Croods: A New Age follows the ‘first family’ as wander through the wilderness. Their simple lives are turned upside down though when they stumble upon the Bettermans, a family that has built a life of privilege through their innovative technology and their high value on self-protection. When the Bettermans decide that the Croods are a threat to their life of luxury, they attempt to rid themselves of their visitors but, in the process, unleash the danger that lurks on the other side of their incredibly high walls.

Directed by Joel Crawford, Croods: A New Age was not a sequel that seemed necessary yet proves to be most welcome. Whereas the first film focused entirely on the Crood clan, New Age opens up the world considerably (and creatively) with the addition of the Bettermans and their utopian realm. While the first film was fairly well-received, the world in which they lived had a relatively limited colour palette as the Croods trudged through their largely dusty terrain. However, with a new environment comes new opportunities for innovation and Crawford and his team let their imaginative juices fly.

Featuring wild creatures and dazzling bursts of colour, there’s an energy within New Age that was missing from its predecessor which also gives the franchise new life. (Personally, I believe that anyone who came up with the idea of ‘wolf-spiders’ really needs to seek some professional help, regardless of how adorable they look.) Filled with modern references like ‘window addiction’ and enough technological wonders to make The Flintstones jealous, Croods: A New Age feels relevant to the modern family and keeps the laughs going along the way.

Even the cast seems slightly more… well… animated in the sequel now that they some new blood to play with. Given the opportunity to work alongside Dinklage’s sophisticated but slimy Phil Betterman, Nicolas Cage’s Grug seems much more likable and endearing. At the same time, with their relationship now firmly established, both Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds are much more comfortable with one another as their characters move towards their ‘forever’. Stealing the show, however, are the aforementioned Bettermans, played by veterans Peter Dinklage and Leslie Mann. Stepping into the role of antagonists to the Croods, Dinklage and Mann are a joy to watch as the obnoxiously wealthy Bettermans. (‘Emphasis on the better,’ they remind.) Though detestable for their celebration of privilege, Dinklage and Mann embed their performances with a nervous desire to protect their family that somehow makes them seem more sympathetic. 

Similar to the first film, A New Age also wants to explore what it means to be both an individual and valued part of the pack. As they settle into the Betterman’s luxurious villas, the Croods finally have the opportunity to have some privacy… but is that something that they really want? As they adjust to living in a technological paradise that allows for them to finally have some space between them, the Croods also find themselves more divided.

Having built a bond between them by always sticking together (primarily out of fear), their new environment provides a certain sense of ease to it that gives them freedom. While this can be life-giving to some, innovations like the ‘man-cave’ and Thunk’s obsession with the window also create roadblocks within their family. In this way, the film recognizes the modern challenges of relationships as we continue to find new ways to create space between us and struggle to maintain open communication in the family unit.

What may be most surprisingly, however, is that A New Age is also unafraid to venture into a new age of ideas by adding the numerous layers of cultural subtext to the family-friendly adventure. From the female empowerment of the Thunder Sisters to the abuse of the environment, the film explores a broad range of culturally relevant issues that help elevate the film’s story. (In fact, through Betterman’s control of the bananas and water supply, the film even suggests the socio-economic ramifications of creating a caste system where the divide between rich and poor continues to grow.) In doing so, there’s a certain level of bravery to A New Age as it intelligently explores some of the deeper issues of our current culture while never becoming overburdened by the conversations or losing the fun.

Despite having little that’s new to the standard animated release, the disc Little Red Bronana Bread and Dear Diary: World’s First Pranks are not spectacular but are effective and entertaining. What’s more, director’s commentaries are always welcome as well. Still, the simplest shorts may be the most helpful. For parents looking for something to do with their kids during a lockdown, shorts that offer creative options like ‘FamiLeaf Album’, ‘How to Draw: Caveman Style’ and ‘Stone Age Snack Attack’ may help bring some activities into your home. It’s also worth noting that the colours really pop onscreen with the home release, especially on the 4K disc.

Filled with humour and heart, The Croods: A New Age is a worthwhile venture. Once again, Grug, Eep and the rest of the family prove that the value of knowing your place in the pack and the importance of supporting one another in the most difficult of circumstances. 

Without question, they have peaked my interest to see what happens in the next age.

Croods: The New Age is available on VOD, 4K, Blu-Ray and DVD on February 23rd, 2021.

Filed Under: DVD, Featured, Film, Reviews, VOD Tagged With: Emma Stone, Leslie Mann, Nicolas Cage, Peter Dinklage, Ryan Reynolds, The Croods

Giveaway! THE CROODS: A NEW AGE on Blu-Ray!

February 23, 2021 by Steve Norton 1 Comment

Thanks to our friends at TARO PR, you can bring The Croods: A New Age home on Blu-Ray!

Return to a simpler time with a Blu-Ray copy of The Croods: A New Age. Directed by Joel Crawford, New Age stars the talents of Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds and Emma Stone as the ‘first family’ encounters the ‘next family’ for the first time!

Following the events of 2013’s The Croods, The Croods: A New Age follows the ‘first family’ as wander through the wilderness. Their simple lives are turned upside down though when they stumble upon the Bettermans, a family that has built a life of privilege through their innovative technology and their high value on self-protection. When the Bettermans decide that the Croods are a threat to their life of luxury, they attempt to rid themselves of their visitors but, in the process, unleash the danger that lurks on the other side of their incredibly high walls.

In order to enter, simply like/share this post on Facebook and/or Instagram and tell us who your favourite cast member is from The Croods: A New Age!

Winners will receive a Blu-Ray copy of The Croods: A New Age.

All entries must be received by 11:59pm on Wednesday, February 24th, 2021.

The Croods: A New Age was released on Blu-Ray, 4K and DVD on February 23nd, 2021.

Special thanks to our friends from TARO PR!

Filed Under: Featured, Giveaways Tagged With: Emma Stone, Joel Crawford, Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, The Croods

The Favourite – Machiavellian Comedy

November 23, 2018 by Darrel Manson Leave a Comment

“I’m on my side. Always.”

It isn’t news that politics can be a cutthroat sport. But in the hands of Yorgos Lanthimos, all that palace intrigue can become the basis of humor. The Favourite is a Machiavellian comedy set 400 years ago that reflects the way power often happens in secret, but with important consequences.

Olivia Colman in the film THE FAVOURITE. Photo by Atsushi Nishijima. © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

Set in the reign of Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) the story takes place almost entirely within the royal household. Anne is frail, crippled by gout, and retiring. She lacks the confidence and, it seems, the intelligence to handle matters of state. Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) is Anne’s longtime friend, confidant, lover, and controller. Even though Anne holds the power, Sarah knows how to manipulate her. Sarah is the éminence grise who, while working with the Whigs in the Parliament, actually runs the country.

When Sarah’s cousin Abigail (Emma Stone) shows up at the palace looking for a position, Sarah is not all that impressed. Abigail was born a part of the aristocracy, but her family’s bankruptcy took away the life she had expected. Sarah sends her to the kitchen to work as a scullery maid. But when Abigail makes an herbal remedy that helps the Queen’s gout, Sarah appoints her to be her own maid, perhaps grooming her to assist her in her political mechanizations. But Abigail sees it as a chance to make her own way. The Tory leader sees in Abigail a backchannel to the Queen. When Abigail discovers how Sarah is running things, and the power she has over Anne, Abigail begins to undermine her cousin and put herself forward. Eventually, their rivalry will take on much larger significance as each pushes the agenda of their political allies.

Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz in the film THE FAVOURITE. Photo by Yorgos Lanthimos. © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

This is a dark comedy, with a good deal of scatological and bedroom humor. There is also a satirical quality to it as it looks at the political system as buffoonery. The Queen is unintelligent. The leader of the Whigs carries his prized racing duck around with him. The leader of the Tories is a consummate dandy. None of those tabularly in power is in any way worthy of respect. Or course, we could look at our own political system and wonder if anything has changed.

The story is based on historical people, however the events are fictional. Even so, it shows how important matters, even war and peace, may be determined not so much by reason as by personalities and how they manipulate situations. And because it is nearly all dealing with the aristocracy, we also understand that those who really pay the price for all this are people with no voice.

Rachel Weisz and Olivia Colman in the film THE FAVOURITE. Photo by Yorgos Lanthimos. © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

It makes for an interesting twist that the world of politics in this story is based on these three women. The men in the story really have no control; they are used by the women to further their own goals. Each of the women is seeking something for herself. The Queen is looking for love. Sarah desires power. Abigail begins by seeking status and prestige, but soon that is not enough, she wants autonomy and freedom to do as she wants. It is a matter of everyone wanting their own good, even if it is at the expense of others.

Photos courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Filed Under: AFIFest, Film, Reviews Tagged With: dark comedy, Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, satire, Yorgos Lanthimos

4.01 Breaking Down the BATTLE OF THE SEXES

October 2, 2017 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

https://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/4.01-Battle-of-the-Sexes.mp3

In the Season 4 premiere of ScreenFish Radio, Steve welcomes ScreenFish’rs Julie and Paul Levac to step onto the court to talk about Battle of the Sexes! Detailing the events surrounding the legendary tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973, Battle of the Sexes has a lot to say about the nature of injustice and sexual politics. PLUS, the team shares what they learned at TIFF17 this year! (You can see our review of the film here.)

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

4.01 Battle of the Sexes

Thanks Paul and Julie for joining us!

Filed Under: Film, Film Festivals, Podcast, TIFF Tagged With: Battle of the Sexes, Billie Jean King, Bobby Riggs, Emma Stone, Steve Carell, tennis, TIFF, TIFF17

TIFF17: Battle of the Sexes

September 29, 2017 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

What happens when one justice isn’t enough?

Battle of the Sexes recounts the events that led up to the 1973 tennis match between retired all-star Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) and champ in her prime, Billie Jean King (Emma Stone). However, this particular ‘sports film’ has very little to do with actual sports, choosing instead to focus itself on the story around the match rather than the match itself. Coming at a time when women were beginning to make strides in their right for equality, Riggs’ challenge to King for an exhibition tennis match quickly became a lightning rod for conversation around gender issues.

Still, the film is acutely self-aware and knows what it wants to accomplish. By de-emphasizing the sports aspect of the film, the film allows King’s backstory to take center-stage. In doing so, Dayton and Faris focus their lens on King’s journey as a feminist trailblazer and an oppressed homosexual, giving the film a much-needed dramatic tone. Because this particular tennis match had more to do with women’s struggle against injustice than it did world rankings, the decision to emphasize King’s journey allows the film to ask modern questions, despite its ’70s look. Given that the results of the famous tennis match aren’t nearly as compelling as the context itself, the film carries with it a sense of inevitability.  (For example, when King storms off after hearing some of Riggs’ comments, Gladys claims that she is merely running towards her ‘fate’.)

Through King’s journey, the film determines that the true battle of the sexes was (is?) the fight for women to be considered equals on the pro tennis circuit. Seeking equal pay to the male stars, King and her followers are forced to fight male stereotypes at every opportunity.  Interestingly, while Riggs provides the primary example of these ideals, King identifies former boss Jack Kramer (Bill Pullman) as the true threat. In essence, King recognizes that, while Bobby preaches ‘male chauvinism,’ he also holds few genuine convictions in regards to the role of women. However, in Jack, she recognizes a deeply-embedded conviction regarding female inferiority. (“Bobby is a clown, but you, Jack, you actually believe this,” she protests.)  By accepting Rigg’s challenge, it’s this heart of injustice that King believes she’s attacking on a cultural level (as represented by Jack).  In moments such as these, the dialogue feels both past-tense and all too current as well.  (After all, it was only recently that we have heard of the differences in pay scale within the film industry itself.)

Further, however, the film also serves as a double-edged sword in its war on injustice by juxtaposing King’s battle for women’s rights with the cultural obstacles that came with her sexuality.  As further inroads are being made regarding respect for women’s freedom, King’s relationship with her ‘hairstylist’ feels like a prison, as she struggles to keep it from the public eye. In this manner, the film shows its hand of modern-day politics by establishing multiple support systems around King, ranging from team wardrobe consultant, Ted Tinling (Alan Cumming), to her [somewhat stunned] husband, Larry (Austin Stowell). (“Don’t worry.  One day a time will come when you can love who you love,” Tinling pines.) Here, the film balances its victorious tone with a reminder that, with every battle won, there remains another on the horizon. 

While the film doesn’t label the church directly, the film uses Margaret Court as a representative of more judgmental attitudes that have been presented by religious conservatives. (Now retired, the real Court is an outspoken pastor with conservative values.) Still, although Battle may use Court as an isolated ‘villain’, the divisiveness and oppressive views she represents are far broader on a cultural level. As a pastor, it pains me to see grace lost in conversations of differences in the name of self-righteousness. Even in moments where there is disagreement, the responsibility of the church is to love openly and freely in a manner that provides hope and restorative community. That is who Jesus is.

In light of this tension, Battle of the Sexes prompts us to recognize how far our culture has come but also reminds us how far we have to go.

Filed Under: Film, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Alan Cumming, Austin Stowell, Battle of the Sexes, Bill Pullman, Billie Jean King, Bobby Riggs, Emma Stone, Sarah Silverman, Steve Carell, tennis

In Defense Of My Best Picture Pick “LA LA LAND”

January 27, 2017 by Chris Utley Leave a Comment

In defense of my Best Picture choice LA LA LAND…

First of all, as a Black man, some folks may be SHOCKED 😱 that my choice is neither Moonlight nor Hidden Figures nor Fences (my STRONG #2 choice for the big prize).   You shouldn’t be shocked.  I’m a film lover first.   Through and through.  I study the history and I soak up the artform.  The language of Cinema pours out of my pores.  I don’t make choices on what movie to see or what film should win out of the lens of my Blackness.  I judge on heart – as in which film, which nominee captures my heart as a cinephile.

This year, THAT film is LA LA LAND.

Here’s the deal.  The film doesn’t really GET you the first time you see it.  It’s a musical… but not the modern day jukebox type that intersperses the songs we know in a brand new story.  This is a ‘built from the ground up’ original musical.  You sit in the theatre, popcorn in hand, learning new music that you have never heard until the lights dimmed.  You sit there watching them dance on the freeway and watch Ryan and Emma bickering and singing and loving and singing and fighting and singing and ease into the ending. To the naked eye, you’re like “O…..K. That was cute.  Don’t know if it’s all that great, but it’s cute.”

But then you go home and in the randomness of your day, you start hearing “City Of Stars” in the recesses of your mind.  You recapture the moment when Emma sang about “The fools who dream.”  And then you a mad dash to download those songs on your musical device or watch them on YouTube. And you catch the specific lyrics and piece them together with the story you saw a few days/weeks earlier. And then the tapestry of the story re-knits itself together in your earbuds. And your “eyes” begin to open and understand why they danced on freeways, flew in planetarium displays in Griffith Park, and auditioned about fools who dream.

Because, if you’re a film lover, we are those fools.

We could be watching football, coding iPhone apps, coaching little league, making sweaters for our families. But no. We spend our weekends and weeknights searching online for movie tickets on Fandango, chasing free screenings, writing articles for ScreenFish, or READING the articles other people wrote.  😜

Why?  Because we are those fools.

LA LA LAND is a film for those fools. For every girl who hitchhiked or took a bus or drove from Michigan to LA chasing a dream. For every dude who plays in some band in his garage hoping to get to the Sunset Strip venues so they can blow up. It’s for every writer, poet, painter, starving actor/actress/wannabe filmmaker who dreams in spite of it all. It’s for everyone in this town who’s heart aches and breaks. For everyone who’s life is a mess because they won’t give up on the dream. For the dream makers. The dream workers. The dreamers.

LA LA LAND is about us.

Filed Under: Editorial, Reviews Tagged With: Damien Chazelle, Emma Stone, La La Land, musical, Oscars, Ryan Gosling

See La La Land & Take Everybody Else With You

January 26, 2017 by Matt Hill Leave a Comment

a while back
(on another site),
i wrote about how
art begets art –
in that case how
love for the game Bloodborne
led to a renewed
dip into
Lovecraft

several whiles back
(on a currently dead blog),
i wrote about how
faves lead to proselytizing –
how when we love something
(in that case, Bloodborne’s 
forebear, Dark Souls),
we naturally want
to tell everyone,
so they may love it too

(i also,
in each case,
related what i was saying
re: art, proselytizing, etc.
to God
(surprise))

now, here, i want to
say (and do) something similar –
interrelated/interconnected –
re: current Oscar top dog
and Hollywood darling
La La Land

by way of micro-review
(micro since so many
words have been spilt
already along these lines),
lemme just say:
La La Land was great;
like, really great;
like, to me, it deserves
how ever many Oscar nods
it’s been nodded

i mean, somehow,
like a filmic magic trick,
La La Land managed to be
classic without seeming formulaic,
nostalgic without seeming disingenuous,
an homage without seeming cute,
timeless without seeming stale

was it the great casting?
music?
acting?
writing?
cinematography?
music?
choreography?
music?
its situatedness in place/time?
just something about it
that makes you want to
give in and go along with it,
right from the start?

yes.

anyway, it’s legit great;
greatly legit;
but that’s not really
the main thing i want to say
now, here

really, i mainly want to
say (now, here) five things

1.

you should go see
La La Land

2.

and you should
take everybody else with you

3.

cuz art that’s exemplary,
and amazing, and wonderful,
memorable and high quality,
carefully crafted and
expertly done –
art that’s truly artful;
art that speaks;
art that’s just plain good –
it deserves to be seen,
to be understood and appreciated
(not alone because
doing so also cultivates us)

4.

and cuz people collectively
need to know that kind of art
when they see it;
and cuz the best way
to help that happen
is to show them bunches of it

(i know my initial instinct,
upon realizing i was in the
presence of something special
with La La Land,
was to see it again
and take my kids;
to help them see:
this is how it’s done,
this is something
beautiful that means something;
understand,
appreciate,
be cultivated by it)

5.

and all this previous stuff –
about art,
about appreciating it,
about sharing it with others –
cuz God

cuz God made
and digs
and wants us to dig
great art,
not alone because
doing so also cultivates us
(Paul says in Philippians: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”)

cuz God made
it so that
learning comes by example –
speaking a writer’s
words after her,
following a
choreographer’s footsteps,
tracing a pianist’s keystrokes,
so that we may also
artfully write, dance, make music
(Paul says in 1 Corinthians: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

and,
therefore,
the world –
this world –
will always, always,
need more writers,
dancers,
music makers;
will always need more
artists;
will always need more
great art;
will always need more
things like La La Land,
and people to see them,
and people to tell others
to see them too

Filed Under: Editorial, Film, Reviews Tagged With: art, children, Christian, Emma Stone, example, God, Jesus, La La Land, modeling, movie, Oscar, Paul, quality, review, Ryan Gosling, spiritual

3.8 Dreaming in LA LA LAND

January 8, 2017 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

https://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/3.8-La-La-Land.mp3

For our 1st ep of 2017, Steve welcomes Kevin McLenithan (co-host, Seeing and Believing) to sing the praises of Damien Chazelle’s LA LA LAND! In a great conversation, they talk about the tension between nostalgia and reality as well as finding a balance between love and purpose. In addition, the guys also reveal their Top 3 Movie Moments of 2016!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

3.8 La La Land

A special thanks to Kevin McLenithan for coming on the show!  You can hear more from Kevin on the Seeing and Believing podcast with Wade Bearden and read his work at Christ and Pop Culture!

Filed Under: Film, Podcast, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Academy Awards, awards, Damien Chazelle, Emma Stone, Golden Globes, JK Simmons, La La Land, Love, movies, musicals, nostalgia, Oscars, Ryan Gosling

La La Land – Hollywood Plays Itself

January 1, 2017 by Darrel Manson 1 Comment

Hollywood has played itself in films frequently. It is the land of glamor and dreams. But it can be very hard on those who dream of making it. It is filled with nostalgia and with visions of new art. How do you tell that story yet again in a way that is both conventional and fresh? Do those two ideas seem to clash? Not in La La Land, a musical that both pays homage to the history of movies and tells age old stories (like boy-meets-girl) in such a way that it seems like we’ve never seen it like this before, even when we know we have.

The story itself is simple. Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) meet somewhat un-cutely in a traffic jam. He lays on his horn when she doesn’t move; she flips him off. But soon their paths cross again—with less than romantic results. Eventually they come to discover the fit they are together and love blooms. But of course, love can also fade.

Sebastian is a jazz pianist whose life mission is to make people love jazz. Mia is an aspiring actress currently working at a coffee shop on one of the studio lots. Both have a strong sense of the past. Sebastian’s most cherished possession is a piano stool once sat on by Hoagy Carmichael. When Mia leaves work she loves to look across the backlot street at the window that Bogart and Bergman looked out of in Casablanca. These two struggling artists who look back to the greatness of the past also seek to make something that will be great and new for today.

All of this is set in the form of a classic musical. There are extensive production numbers that bring to mind such films as West Side Story. There are songs that define the relationship and other songs that speak of the dreams Sebastian and Mia have.

Writer/Director Damien Chazelle also made use of jazz in his previous film, Whiplash. In this film jazz is not just the music that Sebastian plays and often plays through various scenes; it also serves as a metaphor for the tension not only of the story, but also of the movie industry. When Sebastian explains jazz to Mia he notes that it is made up of conflict and compromise. That is true of the relationship in the story as well—and with all relationships. Later when Sebastian discusses jazz with a friend (John Legend), the friend points out that Sebastian is trying to hold on to something of the past—something that was revolutionary when it happened. Where is the revolution in Sebastian’s music? That very much reflects the tension that pervades Hollywood—the desire to make what has been successful before or to do something entirely new.

This is very much a Hollywood/Los Angeles story. (Although that doesn’t mean others will not enjoy the story and film.) But it is the L.A. of nostalgia. From the opening production number on a freeway interchange (one I’ve driven on often) to the frequent trips to Griffith Park and the iconic observatory to a studio backlot, all of this is the L.A. we’ve seen in films before. That is entirely fitting since the film is about that very nostalgic understanding of Hollywood. But while it looks back to the Hollywood we remember and uses conventions that we know, it also seeks to move into something new—which means things may not work out the way we have come to expect. It also reminds us that nostalgia can be painful as well as comforting.

A word needs to be said about the artistry of the film itself. I sometimes worry when I care more for the way the film was made than I do about the story itself. This film has several intricate production numbers that really are astounding—not just in the choreography (by Mandy Moore), but in the camera work that captures it. For example, the opening production number with people dancing on the roofs of cars stuck in a traffic jam is a long shot that shifts angles without cuts. I get a headache thinking of the logistics.

In keeping with the nostalgic nature of the film, the production design evokes not just the sense we expect from a Hollywood musical, but it also sets moods in more subtle ways. When I left the theater I thought the technical aspects of the film outweighed the storytelling. But as I’ve had time for it to marinate in my mind, I’ve come to appreciate the storytelling for its subtle celebration of dreams, even as it faces the reality that those dreams may have hard edges.

Photo credit: Dale Robinette, courtesy of Lionsgate.

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: boy meets girl, Damien Chazelle, Emma Stone, Hollywood, John Legend, Los Angeles, Mandy Moore, musical, nostalgia, Ryan Gosling

Aloha: Are We Doomed To Repeat Our Mistakes?

May 29, 2015 by Jacob Sahms Leave a Comment

Bradley Cooper, left, and Alec Baldwin star in Columbia Pictures' "Aloha," also starring Emma Stone.
Bradley Cooper, left, and Alec Baldwin star in Columbia Pictures’ “Aloha,” also starring Emma Stone.

I knew going in that Aloha was… not good, as recognized by the 14% rating it has on RottenTomatoes.com and this lovely exploration of Sony’s thoughts (some ‘less perfect’ language there). This is Cameron Crowe we’re talking about, who has delivered hits like Say Anything, Jerry Maguire, and Almost Famous (although he was also responsible for the Kirsten Dunst/Orlando Bloom debacle, Elizabethtown)! But in Aloha, failed government contractor Brian Gilchrest (Bradley Cooper) returns to Hawaii, finds his long-lost love, Tracy (Rachel McAdams), wrestles with his military watchdog, Captain Allison Ng (Emma Stone), and frustrates a host of powerful leaders. All in all, it’s a socio-political commentary dressed up as a romantic comedrama, and it is a mess.

Problematically, Tracy is married to the monosyllabic Woody (John Krasinski), who cares for their children, Mitchell (Jaeden Lieberher, St Vincent) and Grace (Danielle Rose Russell), but is mostly emotionally absent. Brian obviously wants to reconnect with her, but what would that mean for Woody’s family? [The audience is made to believe Tracy is unhappy, so a little drama isn’t bad, right?] Equally troubling is the all-out come-on produced by Captain Ng, whose behavior swings between insanely interested, deeply insightful, and full metal jacket. This is the meet cute of the film, and what the wrapper on the label looks like, but it’s no more the main part of the movie than a good lei.

Instead, Crowe (who also wrote this) has a socio-political agenda that involves the military, outside contractor (Bill Murray), and the privatization of the satellite system in space. I’m not terribly political myself, but it’s easy to read the warning on Crowe’s agenda: we can’t do everything in the name of capitalism and call it good. It’s unfortunate though, because while the satellite provides Brian a chance to choose a different path for his life, it’s largely uninteresting. If Aloha is the missile sending the film into space, the actual payload is this political agenda, not a rom-com aimed to entertain us.

aloha2For that reason, I’d fail the film if I was grading it. I felt a little duped, like someone was trying to turn the lights off without me knowing it. It’s not (I don’t think) that the film is bad but that is intentionally aimed at something other than what it proposes. That doesn’t, however, mean that we can’t learn from it.

Brian finds himself in a situation, the result of several situations, where he can continue his downward spiral or he can choose a new path. He can fulfill all of the past patterns of broken behavior he has followed before, he can be the failure that he has proven to be in the past – or, he can make a change. Brian is potentially someone like a lot of us, who have a past habit of giving into an addiction, or running from commitment, or failing to show up in the big moments of our lives. And there are people who tell us that either we can change, or that we might as well give in and be the failure they expect of us.

Honestly, Brian’s situation is a lot like the case of Bre’r Rabbit to me: he’s stuck with Tar Baby, and he can’t leave or forgive himself so he’s doomed. He’ll never change because he doesn’t believe he can. He’s broken, sinful, doomed, whatever you will: he doesn’t believe in grace for himself or for others. Grace? Ah, now, the clues appear. Now, it seems when Crowe sticks to what he does best, weaving broken people together in a tapestry of relationships and choices, he can tell a story.

It’s just a shame Crowe couldn’t stick to the story he knew.

Filed Under: Film Tagged With: Bill Murray, Bradley Cooper, Cameron Crowe, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams

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