‘Devotion’ is an action war drama film based on the bestselling book ‘Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice’ by Adam Makos. This film portrays the story of two US Navy fighter pilots during the Korean War and how the war built a strong bond of friendship between the two.
The plot of the film centres on the friendship between Jesse L. Brown (Jonathan Majors) and Tom Hudner (Top Gun: Maverick’s Glen Powell), two fighter pilots from distinct backgrounds. Brown is the son of a sharecropper who is doing anything to be the first Black carrier pilot in the Navy, despite the discrimination that he faces.
Unlike Brown, Hudner was born into a very wealthy family and loves to enjoy life in country clubs. But when he hears the news about the war, Hudner turns down the opportunity to study at Harvard and decides to fight for his country instead. That is where Hudner meets Brown, and the two would later go on to become the most celebrated Navy wingmen.
The film is directed by J.D. Dillard, whose previous projects include the sci-fi thriller ‘Sleight’ (2016) and the survival horror ‘Sweetheart’ (2019). The screenplay is written by Jake Crane and Jonathan Stewart.
The film is given a steady three out of five review in The Guardian, whose film critic Charles Bramesco calls the film ‘sturdy if unexceptional.’ Bramesco says that Majors and Powell are ‘two abundantly charming men hamstrung by straightforward material.’ “Military men down to their bones, Brown and Hudner both put on a brave facade as they respectively wrestle with external hardship and self-imposed guilt, stowing their angst under a plain appearance.” Bramesco also points out that the film deals more with the relationship and dynamic between the two men than with flying sequences and pilot etiquette. This is far from a ‘Top Gun’ homage. The screenplay is ‘more invested in the grounded portrayal of these men and their relationships than their exploits in the sky,’ Bramesco writes.
Discussing Film call the film an ‘emotional rollercoaster’, with praise for Majors and Powell’s performances in particular, since they ‘pack an emotional punch that will leave your heart aching.’ Reviewer Britany Murphy praises the ‘presence and grace’ of Majors and Powell throughout. ‘Devotion is one of those films where each conversation is felt, and no other duo than Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell could have handled these roles with such presence and grace,” she writes. “Through every interaction and beat, you’re completely locked in. Whereas the battle scenes are some of the best seen in a modern war movie, on par with the high-stake tension of films like 1917 and Dunkirk, I would have been extremely content watching a movie that was strictly emotional one-on-one conversations between Majors and Powell.”
‘Devotion’ is in cinemas now