Bradley Cooper plays a military contractor who returns to Hawaii, where he reconnects with his ex (Rachel McAdams) and immediately falls for his assistant/officer (Emma Stone). There’s no denying that writer/director Cameron Crowe has a wonderful way with words, but his focus is scattered. The story is sometimes confusing and the action sometimes seems unmotivated. What’s undeniable is that every performance is terrific: the characters are engaging and there’s dynamic energy between all of the actors. The film starts out with a snappy attitude and plenty of promise, but the screenplay gets lost and ultimately turns mushy (that last scene especially).
(3 / 5)