Directed By J.D Dillard

Starring – Jonathan Majors, Glen Powell Christina Jackson

The Plot – A pair of U.S. Navy fighter pilots Jesse Brown (Majors) and Tom Hudner (Powell) risk their lives during the Korean War and become some of the Navy’s most celebrated wingmen because of their fearless sacrifice that solidified their blossoming friendship.

Rated PG-13 for strong adult language, some war action/violence, and smoking

DEVOTION – Official Trailer (HD) – YouTube

POSITIVES

In what is easily Dillard’s most ambitious project to date, he comes through with a meaningfully complex and honorable direction that affords itself to many fascinating aspects of the world’s first black aviator. Aside from the script depicting a racist world outside of the Navy refusing to change, the film’s internal struggle is equally intriguing, with thought-provoking insights and commentary towards Jesse’s unwelcoming assessment of being a hero to the black shipmen aboard deck, the media’s demeaning necessity to use it as a power piece in light of the terribly traumatic war, and of course Jesse’s own desire to live against the rules for procedures that have nearly gotten him killed previously in the air of battle. Dillard’s measure of such is one of great admiration not only for Jesse, but also for the many men who make the risky sacrifice to board a fighter aircraft, fleshing out the vulnerability and difficulty of the profession seamlessly with a first act that was my personal favorite of the experience. In addition to this, the film is wonderfully acted by the dynamic duo of Majors and Powell at the wheel, conjuring for each of them what is easily some of their most emotionally impactful work to date. In the case of Powell, his charisma has always been something that is quickly making him one of my favorite actors, but this time he proves his worth with an equally balancing layer of dramatic depth and tangible humility to compliment his silver screen charms, with an air of elegance that allows him to immerse himself seamlessly into the timely relevance of the role. But for Majors, it’s the screen presence and unyielding intensity that maintains audience attention throughout the duration of the 130-minute run time, evoking powerful feelings and connection that frequently reminds me of a young Denzel in his prime. Finally, while the wartime sequences are a bit bland in summarized execution, the technical components and production values influencing such instances are remarkable, with a bold intricacy of sound design, riveting cinematography with rapid fire editing, and authenticity of ship and plane designs proving they capably did their homework with the likeness and environmental impulses of the career. They aren’t the most exciting sequences in terms of detectability or originality, but they definitely keep you constantly gripped to the urgency of the engagement, solidifying its big screen appeal with a thunderous intensity and immersive plight that are endlessly appreciated.

NEGATIVES

Most of the problems pertaining to this film begin with its script, which painfully underwhelms the sincerity and tenacity of its biopic with a predictability and blandness that continuously undercut its appeal. For starters, the heaviness of the dialogue and construction of friendship between the two pilots make it easy to predict where it will eventually lead, with lines of foreshadowing so telegraphed in emphasis that they might as well be prematurely stating what’s right around the bend in the high stakes climax. From there, the film’s framing device in marketing and in screenplay obviously revolve around this friendship, but it rarely feels like it earns the sentimentality of the feelings it reaches so forcefully for. With the exception of a bar sequence between them in their off time, there’s no scene that really establishes their bond away from flight, with the biggest subplot earning little to no relevance in a film revolving around it. This is further reciprocated by the legacy of Jesse Brown, which is sadly limited in the aspect that he’s not even the central protagonist in his own movie. While it’s selfishly appreciated to spend more time with Powell in the lead role, it’s troubling in our interpretive knowledge of the trailblazing Jesse, who is approached with surface level exposition and limited depiction that blunder the opportunity. Aside from the script, the aforementioned limitations of the action sequences leave the war in wartime plagued by peril of pacing. Because it takes roughly 90 minutes before the war even materializes, we’re left with diminishing returns that stall its flight, and in the case of the aforementioned techniques, while appealing in sparsity, leaves more to be desired when conjured cohesively with the rest of the script, whose drama feels integral to Jesse’s story, yet disjointed of the blockbuster tag that’s placed upon it, leaving audiences seeking action a bit thirsty by its resolution. Finally, while the work of Majors and Powell generate nourishment to the integrity of their respective characters, the abandonment of the rest of the ensemble is more than troubling in buying the camaraderie of these collective pilots. This tragically wastes away the talent of some screen veterans in ways that demean the justification of their summoning, but also understates the stakes and dramatic emphasis of its wartime sequences, leaving each of them as merely names and faces meant to fill a quota, instead of real-life living embodiments whose sacrifice is equally important as the central duo.

OVERALL
While disappointingly more of a biopic drama than a wartime thriller, “Devotion” undercuts the air of its dedication with a disjointed script and uninspired action sequences whose individual ingredients are better than the sum of its whole. Majors and Powell are undoubtedly the best aspects of a film with sky-high ambitions but can’t pilot a compromised craft that is almost constantly running on empty as a result of the redundancies of superior crafts that charted the territory first.

My Grade: 6/10 or C