Movies with Isaiah: Biographical war story 'Devotion' is inspiring, required viewing

In last week's review of "The Menu," I mentioned how the next column would be a review of the action-comedy "Violent Night." For the past couple of weeks, a significant increase in guests for the biographical war film titled "Devotion" became noticeable. At first, hesitation within was immense as metaphorically speaking the anchor was offering powerful resistance. I simply wanted to confirm that my emotions would remain in check.

Once I felt confident enough to watch this specific film, the sensation of witnessing a story around another historical event became too impactful to ignore. "Devotion" is a biographical war story based on true events revolving around the Korean War. Two pilots for the Naval Aviation Unit developed an authentic, emotional, brotherly bond in an era where racial tensions remained despite improvement. Historically, the Korean War took place after the fall of Nazi, Germany, as relations with America and abroad began experiencing forms of allegiances that many believed was impossible.

The story is about Ensign Jesse Brown, the first African-American to complete the Navy's Aviation Flight program and his friendship with Lt. Thomas Hudner. Upon watching the trailer, it was apparent this film wasn't going to focus on any fancy visuals, spectacular explosions or innovative aerial techniques offering excitement in a manner that would be similar to summer blockbusters. At the core of this true story is a dramatic tale of heroism, friendship, brotherhood and emotions that couldn't be ignored. Rising star Jonathan Majors, who was in the TV series "Lovecraft Country" and is going to appear in the upcoming superhero film "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania" and "Creed III" next year, portrays Ensign Jesse Brown. Glen Powell, who was recently in the critically acclaimed and record-breaking box office sensation "Top Gun: Maverick" portrays Hudner.

Director J.D. Dillard made it a mission to capture the story from a realistic perspective without forcing a specific message upon the audience. Since the overall theme of this film focuses on the chemistry and acting chops between Majors and Powell, it was apparent "Devotion" wasn't going to fall into the category of transforming a historical event into a visual fest of colors, explosions, one-liners and fancy fight sequences.

I've read praises relating to Majors possibly becoming this generation's Denzel Washington based off his acting abilities - very high praise for an individual who has a small number of films under his belt. His performance in this tale is nothing short of incredible. Majors is such a fantastic actor who conveys raw emotion, naivety, intelligence, charm and sophistication. How he portrayed Brown impacted me in a manner that I absolutely didn't believe was possible. There's a certain scene in the film that reminded me of Michael Jordan stories from the basketball documentary "The Last Dance." Several players, coaches and friends spoke about how Jordan would motivate himself for certain games.

The scene I am describing reminded me of those stories. When viewers watch that moment, they'll know what I am talking about. It's one of the many highlights of the film that shows how remarkably talented and chilling Major's performance was. I cannot stress enough how important it was for that scene to focus on him and him only. Recently, in certain films, there would be specific scenes that often would hide the performance rather than focusing on the actors/actresses. Upon watching it unfold, you'll see why I am offering much-deserved praise. It's immensely powerful.

Powell is not going to be ignored from the praise department either. As I watched him on screen, I couldn't help but feel disappointment that he wasn't cast as Steve Rogers/Captain America. He completely looked and acted how I believe Captain America would actually behave. There was a wonderful dichotomy between Powell and Majors making their interactions memorable, authentic and sincere. He absolutely knocked it out of the park with his by-the-book, upstanding, honest and patriotic sense of belief. I would love to see more films with Powell and Majors acting alongside one another.

From a visual perspective, it presents an atmosphere of real-life war-torn areas involving aerial or ground assaults. One of my major complaints is certain action sequences appeared too much like cartoons, way too many technological green screen effects taking away from the mood and not enough realistic visuals that give it more of a traditional set feel. As I watched aerial and ground sequences, my imagination wondered as to how J.D. Dillard would handle a Superman project? The various visual techniques, camera movements and atmosphere gave me Superman inspiration that I believe he'd capture beautifully.

Another astounding inspiring moment I wanted to extend praise for is a cinematic moment that I've always appreciated. I love one-take shots that give the audience more of a personal feel without relying on unnecessary quick edits and cuts. The combination of the atmosphere, color scheme and the following of this specific character felt uniquely immersive. It's become a rarity for certain films to give more of an actual scenario where you feel like you're in that situation. We've seen this technique used wonderfully in the films "1917," "Beast," "Oldboy," the "John Wick" series, and the first season of "Daredevil" on Netflix.

2022 continues its trend of quality cinematic offerings. "Devotion" is an inspiring, patriotic and emotional tale that is required viewing. Powerful acting, likable historical figures, an epic orchestral score complimenting every scene, and a perfect educational experience from beginning to end. Another highly recommended feature. Final rating is 10/10 and two thumbs up. "Devotion" is another must-see film.

Isaiah Ridley works at Beacon Cinemas in Sumter. To watch his movie reviews online, find him @Izzy's Cinematic Escape on YouTube.