Devotion Review: A true action drama takes on Top Gun: Maverick

At first glance, it seems extremely unfortunate dedication will be published in the shadow of Top Gun: Maverick‘s utter box office dominance of 2022. dedication is another film about elite naval pilots with training sequences, many practical effects and a rescue in the snow. It even features Glen Powell, who plays loner‘s sneering, vicious executioner. So it’s easy to imagine the cinematic story of real-life pilot Jesse Brown (the MCU’s Kang, Jonathan Majors) being overshadowed by an overwhelming nostalgia for Tom Cruise returning to one of his most iconic roles, especially given this dedication‘s Korean War-era hardware isn’t as high-octane as the jets in that year’s biggest hit.

On the other hand, Top Gun: Maverick has reached such a rare level of success that rather than making the image of any other fighter pilot pale in comparison, it might whet the appetite for similar material. when you call dedication an unofficial top gun Prequel seems too flagging, try this: In some ways, it’s a more subtle and moving experience than Cruise’s reckoning that turned the victorious lap.

dedication takes place in 1950 at the start of the Korean War – sometimes referred to as the “forgotten” war because little attention was paid to it compared to World War II or the later conflict in Vietnam. dedication Pilots Tom Hudner (Powell) and Jesse Brown (Majors) are members of the Silent Generation, more spiritual than technical: born at the end of the Greatest Generation that marched into World War II, they both enter the field just as that war ends . They are eager to serve, but they both understand the seriousness of the duties they have assumed.

Photo: Eli Adé/CTMG

This is especially true of Jesse, the first black pilot to graduate from the US Navy’s training program. His wife Daisy (Christina Jackson, who plays a woman who might as well be called Worried Supportive in this tale) is waiting at home with their toddler. Jesse is assigned to work with Tom and is initially guarded. Some of the film’s best moments come during the breaks, where Jesse clearly decides what and how much to say to his colleagues. Too proud for submissiveness but too controlled for physical confrontation, the film nuancedly acknowledges that Tom’s absolute decency doesn’t necessarily give him a complex understanding of the racial dynamics at play. His efforts to help his new wingman aren’t always welcomed. His character arc revolves around his unspoken realization that he will, in fact, not serve as Jesse’s designated white savior.

In most cases, nothing particularly seismic or unpredictable happens dedication. Tom and Jesse grow closer despite not being inseparable. Her squadron trains and then ships as the Korean conflict escalates. The only other character who makes much of an impression is Dick Cevoli (Thomas Sadoski), the squad’s commanding officer, who at one point speaks directly to Tom about the value of a lifetime of “showing up” rather than flashy heroism.

Yet the film’s combination of edginess and relative understatement, courtesy of director JD Dillard (trick), gathers a silent power. Not everyone grew up idolizing Tom Cruise’s smug Hotshot Maverick, and this is a naval aviation film that doesn’t rely so much on speed. Accordingly, air combat is not as exciting as similar material in loner. But it looks convincing, and there’s something satisfying about how it emphasizes precision over performance. Throughout the film, Dillard and Majors find grace notes, such as the moment Dillard’s camera remains fixed on the nose of a grounded airplane while Jesse orients himself, or the haunting view of Jesse’s pre-flight ritual. He stares at himself in the mirror and recites every ugly dismissal he’s ever had his way, and Dillard directs this so Majors faces the camera, torturing and steeling himself at the same time.

Photo: Eli Adé/CTMG

It’s far more effective than the film’s occasional attempts to insert bits of contemporary vernacular, the most notable of which is a black soldier who, on behalf of a group working on the aircraft carrier, approaches Jesse and tells him, “We see us. At least the movie ends with someone telling Tom to check his privileges. This stuff works best when the film doesn’t rephrase the conflicts in more modern terms.

dedication never feels like a textbook – history or sociology – because Dillard displays such an impressive command of the material. With the assistance of cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt, he lends the film’s visual tone a muted, somber quality, softening the rah-rah elements inherent in a film that takes a military conflict out of context. This film isn’t a particularly clever portrayal of war, but it does skillfully depict casualties – something that’s ultimately lacking in movie star restorations Top Gun: Maverick. Comparing the two films isn’t particularly fair, but it’s still worth noting that this smaller production does more with less.

dedication debuts in theaters on November 23.