Devotion Movie Review

Jacey Brown (Jonathan Majors) is the first black pilot in Navy history. However, the hero wants the main reason why he was noticed not by the color of his skin, but by the reputation of the best fighter pilot among his peers. He is friends with the pilot Tom Hudner (Glen Powell), participates in the tests, and also comes with him to the fiercest battle of the Korean War of 1950-1953.

Cinema often bets on spectacular air battles — you can recall the gigantic “Pearl Harbor” by Michael Bay, and the methodical “Dunkirk”, and the air tightrope walking of the recent sequel “Top Gun”. “Devotion” Directed by Justin Dillard — another attempt to tell about the heroism of those who fly above the ground, but seasoned with many additional subplots. Airplanes seem to be the first thing here, but periodically the film turns around 180 ° and thinks about something else: about how hard it is for a black pilot in America in the 50s (for example, a casino refuses service to him), how to maintain friendship and how to find composure while communicating with the great Elizabeth Taylor. The story of the pilots is also inscribed in the context of the geopolitical confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States, which did not bypass Hollywood patterns. Center of dynamics — the film presents in detail the exciting fights with the North Koreans, and the director shows the massacre, using the full range of timing, — and from the most disgusting, and from a completely ordinary side.

Great ambitions and the desire to reach the level of a voluminous military epic, of course, do not always benefit the Devotion — the tape is drowning in the dramatic introspection of the hero, focuses on the restlessness of the victim of segregation and is full of unnecessary interludes in the plot. Even the appearance of Elizabeth Taylor performed by Serinda Swan — just a simple stuffing to the timing with an attempt to show that pilots can also have a good rest, with taste and communicate with the stars. But when it comes to action scenes, “Devotion” has a decent arsenal to play with the audience’s vestibular system: beautiful aerial shots with thoughtful choreography, explosive scenes of air collisions and dizzying flights. According to the rhythmic pattern, of course, it is far from Dunkirk, but the film copes with the minimum task, plunging into the difficult everyday life of the aviation team. Although it is reasonable to claim that the combat scenes here are similar to some kind of game simulator (in places it can really be perceived as the perfect advertisement for World of Warplanes), however, the film does not become glamorous and sterile from this.

Anyone understands that with the release of the new adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, few people will be able to show all the front-line horrors of the 20th century with such undisguised authenticity. But don’t expect too much from Double Loop, as the film is more about humanity and mission. Seems to be good with airplanes — this is only half the battle, in such a difficult craft you also need to be able to navigate people.