‘Fury’

Norman (Logan Lerman) left, and Wardaddy (Brad Pitt) give compelling performances in Columbia Pictures’ “Fury”. (photo courtesy of Sony Pictures)

Director David Ayer tells the same story; he just relocates his thematic palette to different locales, and now, World War II. Don’t misinterpret me. Predictability doesn’t equal trash or mere monotony. “Fury” might feel like his cop flick, “End of Watch”, but it is a memorable journey.

During the final push through Germany, Sgt. Don Collier (Brad Pitt) commands “Fury”, a Sherman tank that requires a five-man crew. Meet the vets: driver Trini (Michael Peña), gunner Boyd (Shia LeBeouf) and loader Grady (Jon Bernthal). Sadly, the bow gunner slot recently became vacant.

Even more tragically, the military decided to fill the opening with Norman (Logan Lerman), a fresh recruit originally on his way to perform clerk duties. He can type 60 words a minute, but he’s never set foot in a tank before. With little time to spare, Norm faces a hostile world previously unknown to him. As the journey continues, Fury finds herself amid her greatest battle yet, forcing the crew, old and new, to make the hardest decision of their lives.

Ayer has an amazing knack for “bro-dialogue.” Sure, he can’t (or just doesn’t) write for women, but he can tap into the male bond found in conflict. I might scream and run away if he ever writes a football film. Similar to “End of Watch”, “Fury” feels like a day-in-the-life story. The crew reflects on past campaigns and egg each other on, especially the newbie. The story finally appears come the third act — and a satisfying act it is — but this is a character piece parading as an action film.

Say what you will about LeBeouf, but this is the best performance of his career. Pitt (providing us his best Tom Hanks-esque depiction of a WW II leader) and his merry men do their darnedest on screen (you might remember Bernthal as Shane from “The Walking Dead”; he channels that character here), but LeBeouf’s crazy method acting pays off.

Earlier this year, Ayer proved he was fallible with “Sabotage”, but “Fury” sets things right. This is a war film with a simple story that doesn’t try to be the end-all depiction of a vast and incredibly complex war. It’s about five men and the violent circumstances that bind them together.

‘Dear White People’

Idiotic fraternities hosting “urban” parties where white students wear blackface — white pride clubs forming on college campuses in the South — naive debates about affirmative action amid racial tensions nationwide on college campuses and in cities everywhere, “Dear White People” is a refreshing voice of reason that marvelously helps us awkwardly laugh our way through issues that are often returned with silence or knee-jerk responses.

While the film comes to a climax with a frat-party-gone-blackface, “Dear White People” is more about the racial struggles of four black students in an Ivy League school. All throughout, Sam’s (Tessa Thompson) radio show, “Dear White People”, critiques the way white students poach black culture and treat black students. In one instance, she claims using the term “African-American” instead of “black” is a form of racism. In another, she says dating a black person to anger your parents “is a form of racism.”

The material is very satiric, but hardly unfamiliar, especially when she says, “The minimum requirement of black friends needed to not seem racist has just been raised to two. Sorry, but your weed man, Tyrone, does not count.” Shocking to hear, but effective comedy should engage uncomfortable topics, like tokenism — the act of including just enough diversity to avoid criticism — which leads us down a path of falsities.

In many ways, Justin Simien’s feature debut as writer and director provides a snapshot of many debates, like countering Black History Month with White History Month or how loud one needs to be before anyone will hear and actually care. But unlike some films that lay it on too thick, “Dear White People” never sacrifices characters for the sake of a political point. There’s heart amid social commentary.

While I previously referred to “Dear White People” as a satire, it’s hardly an over exaggeration. Far too many college administrators say racism is dead. Anyone who says otherwise is merely stirring up trouble, as university president Fletcher (Peter Syvertsen) says. As a film, “Dear White People” isn’t as fast-paced and catchy as the trailer implies, but it’s still a relevant overview of the many struggles you won’t find in a college brochure.