Devotion, M, 140 minutes. Three stars
There's a seemingly endless supply of World War II movies, and almost as many covering World War I. There are plenty around Vietnam, the conflicts in the Middle East and the US Civil War.
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But there are not too many that cover the Korean War. M*A*S*H is probably the most well-known, but most casual film viewers would be hard-pressed to name another.
That brings us to Devotion - and the war it covers is not the only thing refreshing about this Netflix film.
The film, directed by J.D. Dillard, follows the real-life story of trailblazing African-American naval aviator Jesse L. Brown, who served at the outbreak of the conflict in Korea.
Brown is known for being the first black aviator to complete the US Navy's basic flight training program, in an era before the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
Devotion is like a less flashy Top Gun, and even stars Top Gun: Maverick's Glen Powell as fellow aviator Tom Hudner.
The film starts with Jesse (Jonathan Majors), Tom and their fellow pilots on base in Rhode Island. They're of a generation that was too young to have served in World War II - what's referred to in flight circles as "The Big Show" - and most are itching for a chance to show what they're made of and achieve glory in conflict.
But Devotion takes a subdued approach to war that is more than welcome, and it stems from the instruction of the team's commander, Dick Cevoli. It's refreshing to see a commander who's not shouty, and leads with compassion. It's no less effective, but it is less machismo.
Thomas Sadoski plays Cevoli, and if this were any other movie, he probably would not be the go-to choice for the role, but his soft touch and care for his men are appreciated. He has the best line in the film: "The real battle in life is being someone that people can count on. And that doesn't happen in one moment, you earn that with a lifetime of showing up."
War doesn't come to the screen until more than halfway through the film.
It's then the aviators are called out to an aircraft carrier and begin being prepped to fly different planes with more limited visibility than they're used to.
Cevoli tells his men that the most important thing on every mission is that everyone comes back home. Of course, this being a war film, we know not everyone is going to make it.
The pilots are eventually given the task to take out important bridges between Korea and China, and to provide support for soldiers on the ground.
The actual scenes of war aren't that dynamic, but this is more a film about people, commitment and responsibility than it is about war tactics, so that's not too much of a detraction.
Majors is excellent in the lead.
The actor is having a real moment, from Lovecraft Country to Da 5 Bloods, The Harder They Fall (truly exceptional) and Loki, and will soon appear in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Creed III.
He and Powell play off each other well.
Sadly, the rest of the pilots are given very little attention, and there is zero character development for them. Among the actors are Joe Jonas and Nick Hargrove (Charmed).
Jesse's wife Daisy (Christina Jackson from The Good Fight) gets some more screen time, and Jackson does well to elevate her role beyond simply "the wife". She's a force, and goes a long way to helping audiences care about Jesse's life outside the war.
The film closes with photos of the real-life people featured in Devotion, which is always a nice touch.
Now that we have a film about Jesse L. Brown, hopefully Hollywood will also look into the truly incredible life of Eugene Bullard, widely considered to be the first African-American pilot to fly in combat.