Matthew Inouye

The first time I watched Aloha, I was frustrated, feeling let down as I expected an immediate classic like Almost Famous and found the space/military subplot and slow pace difficult to enjoy. But afterwards, the main characters stuck with me. They were layered, imperfect and real. They made decisions that were emotional and irrational and were left to deal with the repercussions. They showed humanity, intention and vulnerability that you don't normally see except through a Cameron Crowe film and I felt like I knew them. The movie embraced in-your-face symbolism and it actually was enjoyable. Watching it over again, I appreciated the slow pace and saw it akin to sipping a fine wine. The background details in each scene seemed thoughtful and helped to give the characters depth -- whether it was Tracy's kitchen or Brian's hotel room.