'Fury' is a solid World War II movie throwback
鈥淔ury,鈥� written and directed by David Ayer, is an impressively solid聽World War II movie of the kind they don鈥檛 make anymore. Stylistically and聽dramatically, it鈥檚 a throwback to the war movies of the 1940s and '50s 鈥撀爄t鈥檚 even shot on film, a rarity these days.
Brad Pitt gives one of his best performances as Sgt. Don 鈥淲ardaddy鈥澛燙ollier, a tank commander with a passion for killing Nazis. His men聽aboard the 鈥淔ury,鈥� the nickname painted on the gun barrel of their M4聽Sherman tank, are gunner Boyd (Shia LaBeouf), a thoughtful sort who聽knows his Bible; loader Grady (Jon Bernthal), a leering hillbilly badly聽in need of some dental work; and driver Trini (Michael聽Pe帽a, who was聽so good in Ayer鈥檚 鈥淓nd of Watch鈥�). Joining them is Norman (Logan聽Lerman), a raw recruit trained as a typist, who find himself encased in the聽tank as an assistant driver. Don has to teach this shivering, frightened聽kid how to kill.
In the film鈥檚 best scene, Don and Norman, having secured a German聽town, decamp in an apartment occupied by a mother (Anamaria Marinca)聽and her teenage daughter (Alicia von Rittberg). The levels of fear and聽tension and desire in this scene are palpable, especially when the three聽other men from the tank barge in. It鈥檚 like a scene in a Tarantino movie聽minus all the smart-aleckiness. Grade:聽B+ (Rated R for strong sequences of war violence, some grisly images, and language throughout.)
