HACKSAW RIDGE

(2016) World War II is raging over in Europe, and Virginia native Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), newly-married and with a brother already enlisted, feels in his heart nothing more than the need to serve.  Against the wishes of his father Tom (Hugo Weaving), a WWI vet still suffering the trauma of his own service, as well as losing all his friends to the fight, Desmond joins the army - getting as far as the first days of basic training before his fellow soldiers and Sgt. Howell (Vince Vaughn) discover Doss's religious beliefs forbid him from so much as laying his hands on a gun.  Based on the real-life Battle of Okinawa hero, Doss was 100% on-board with serving his country as a medic - someone who saved lives, though would never knowingly take one - but was initially physically and verbally threatened for his beliefs, branded a conscientious objector, yet never compromised his beliefs and became the first recipient of the Medal of Honor, in American history, to be given the honor without firing a single shot.  Andrew Garfield's good-old-boy performance as Dobbs strikes 100% true, the first half of the film setting up who he was, his life and family, and finding love with a beautiful nurse (Teresa Palmer), before the second half depicts both the horrors of war as well as Dobbs's ceaseless bravery.  While I don't care for war movies and especially the way Hollywood tends to glamorize them, for me Hacksaw Ridge never held a false note, the time flying by as the surprising story of everything this one man did to serve his country came shining through on the screen.  Beautifully, perfectly directed by Mel Gibson, who along with Garfield easily turns in Oscar-worthy work.  (rated R) 10/10 stars