Mad Poet

I thought the movie was good. For a comedy, there was depth and realism, which accentuated the connection between the protagonists. The humor was more sophisticated, working out just swimmingly in the dialogue. Although the theme was a bit of a cliche, everything seemed to gel, giving a satisfying conclusion. I liked the brief cameo appearance from Keanu Reeves, but it was unnecessary. First of all, the scene was a tad bit over the top and felt rushed. One moment Sasha is getting over a breakup then she’s in a relationship with Keanu Reeves, albeit quite brief?! The energy between Sasha and Mark was in the story. You don’t simply disregard a bond since childhood over a slight miscommunication, especially after sex. So, losing touch for six years seemed a bit of a stretch. There’s multiple directions the writer could’ve taken to unite the pair organically rather than a silly test of male testosterone. In my opinion, the Keanu Reeve scene added more awkwardness than humor. What made this movie funny, was the natural humor, not the quirky antics of using a major celebrity. Some movies are like that where they just make you feel good. So, laughing your heart out shouldn’t always be the primary focus—a genuine warm smile would suffice. With that said and done, I highly recommend this movie, especially in these times where the phobia against Asian Americans are absolutely ludicrous. Hopefully, this movie will obliterate those barriers stifling our better judgement to treat each other with respect. #EndHate

Good! I could relate with the kids because I moved back to Hawai’i a teenager after leaving the islands at 4. Like the kids in the movie, I too used an American name when I lived in the mainland; it was much easier for people to pronounce because they would murder my real name. My brother changed his name entirely kind of like what the character, “E” did. As far as them speaking Hawaiian, I get it. I have some friends who speak and teach Hawaiian fluently. However, when we converse, we just use pidgin. I thought the storyline was decent, but a cliche none the less. I’m not sure if they could’ve approached this story any other way, though. Sometimes, one just has to appreciate that the director allowed as much authenticity as he could given the parameters he worked with. It could’ve been worse—the director could’ve made it an all white cast and titled it, “Aloha.”