The Mosley Review: Devotion

There's a certain romanticism to Naval Air Pilot films that never stops being intoxicating. Whether it be about a fictional war while retaining as much realism to the fighters that are used today or the airmen that paved the way for pilots today, there is still a charm that is never lost. This film takes a look at a war that is often not explored since its sandwiched between The Cold War and the Vietnam War. We had the Forgotten Generation of the first World War, but the Korean War is often known as the Forgotten War. I do like that more films have started to explore the many other wars and skirmishes in America's history. Now this one tackles the majority of the aerial combat done with the bombings, but it doesn't shy away from the boots on the ground and I liked seeing the divide between them. Where most films based on the true story of the soldiers and the enemy they fight in massive battles, this film decided to focus on the inner battle of psychological torture of the racist injustices of the times, the personal lives of the men in the air, the brotherhood that is forged between pilots and the amount of pride that could be detriment to the team even it gets the job done. I appreciated that and I'm glad the film left the portrayal of the real pilots the story is based upon in the hands of a very capable cast.

Johnathan Majors is on a hot streak right now and there's no sign of stopping. His portrayal of Ensign Jesse Brown was fantastic and endearing. He brilliantly sometimes hides and then releases the characters anger and pain in a number of looks and body language. The mirror scene is one of the most iconic and gut wrenching scenes of the film. When he wasn't constantly putting on a brave face, we get to see the character's charm and humanity shine through. Christina Jackson was wonderful as his loving and strong wife Daisy Brown. She brings out the light within him when he is home. Her sweetness and wisdom really shines in the softer and more intimate scenes of the film. Glenn Powell was great as Jesse's wingman as Lieutenant Tom Hudner. His charm shines at all times, but I loved that he always respected his crew and the way he naturally earned Jesse's respect. The two of them were excellent together and I loved that their friendship was the soul of the film. Daisy had a touching scene with Tom and I loved their immediate bond. I always enjoy seeing Thomas Sadoski in anything and as their team leader, Dick Cevoli, he was just as awesome and solid as you'd expect. He is such a great character actor and this film showcases that yet again. A standout in the film that took me by surprise was Serinda Swan as Elizabeth Taylor. She nailed the persona, charm, attitude and mystique of the real life socialite. She had a number of great scenes with Jesse and I loved every second of it.

The score by composer Chanda Dancy was uplifting, somber and heroic at the right times and really brought home the emotional core of the film. Visually the film was nice to look at, but at times I felt it was almost too murky in the darker lit scenes and even in the interior of the ship scenes. It sometimes took away from the more intimate moments between two characters talking in their bunk. Even though this was a true story, I felt that the story dragged a bit and felt almost too clean. The focus is the power of friendship, but I wish there was a little less levity with the tone of the film. In the end, this was a good film about a real friendship that was forged in a time where it was frowned upon. I will definitely add this to the list of good Naval Aviator films, but somewhere in the top 10, but not top 5. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!