A muddled, misguided effort

ALOHA, an all-purpose word in the Hawaiian language meaning hello or goodbye and also peace and affection, embodies the warm, welcoming spirit of the Hawaiian Islands and its people. It is now also the title of a movie by writer-director Cameron Crowe, whose notable works include Jerry Maguire (1996) and Almost Famous (2000). Unfortunately, the main emotion evoked by his latest film is disappointment - at a muddled, misguided effort.

It will require significant reserves of patience to sift through the wreckage and locate the positives in Aloha, which takes place mainly on an airforce base near Honolulu.

Crowe seems to have had every intent of making a meaningful, multi-faceted movie encompassing themes of Hawaiian folklore, family and national identity and the search for personal redemption. At its heart is a burgeoning love story between the main characters complicated by various factors, including unfinished business involving an old flame.