Brendan Fraser and Andrew Scott Lead an Intense World War II Drama About the Weather Decisions Behind D-Day
When countries go to war, there is a multitude of variables that must be factored into deciding where and when to strike. Ideas like tactical advantages, personnel, artillery, etc., all must be planned out in advance in order to try and create the best possible outcome for one's own side. However, when we see Generals meeting and discussing plans, they rarely mention one of the factors that play a part in a successful military strike...the weather. As far back as the 1940s, when World War II was ravaging the European countryside, weather played an extremely important role in the Allied troops' success on D-Day. Pressure, the new film from Focus Features, relives the intense few days before June 6th and how the weather played a part that led to a successful military campaign.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser; The Whale) has called in the best meteorologist in all of England, Captain James Stagg (Andrew Scott; Spectre), to help him try to predict the weather on the beach at Normandy. However, due to high pressure in the area of France and other systems converging near Normandy, Stagg tells Eisenhower to delay the strike by two weeks. This angers the other officers, who inform Stagg that waiting will mean losing the element of surprise and therefore making the attack not only useless but also meaning incurring great loss of life for the Allied troops. Also making things more difficult is Eisenhower's long-time meteorologist, Irving Krick (Chris Messina; Argo), who disagrees with Stagg's assessment. With the war hanging in the balance, Eisenhower must decide whose advice to follow.
One might think that watching a group of grown men arguing about rain would be far more boring than watching paint dry, but after seeing Pressure, I walked out of the studio and said out loud, "Who knew weather could be so exciting?!?". The way director and co-writer Anthony Maras (Hotel Mumbai) makes the weather patterns mean so much is exhilarating, and the inconsistencies and elements of surprise that could derail the whole mission are intense.
Of course, this real-life story wouldn't be half as good without the right cast, and Maras brings together some heavy hitters. All I can say is thank goodness Fraser has returned to acting because we are all better for it. His intensity is exactly what the role of Eisenhower demands, and he delivers from start to finish. Scott and Messina are excellent as rivals, but rounding out this cast is Kerry Condon (F1: The Movie), and it seems she can do no wrong. She steals every scene she is in, which is difficult to do with Fraser, and matches him across the board for grabbing the audience's attention. The rest of the cast is fine, but these four are memorable in a movie that needs to be remembered.
The scenery and costumes add another layer to the authenticity of the movie, and Maras' instincts serve him well when it comes to lighting, camera angles, and cinematography. One can sense the grittiness that pervades the building and the surrounding grounds used to replicate the Allied Headquarters during that intense time. All these elements combined make for a compelling hour and forty minutes of drama.
If you are a fan of wartime movies and the strategic maneuvers taken at key points in time, then you will love Pressure. If you are a fan of Fraser, Scott, and/or Condon, then you should see this movie. If you want to sit back and enjoy an intense drama based on true events, then this is the one you should see.
By the end, you will walk out of the theater understanding all the meanings of the title and gain a newfound respect for the weather people on television every day.
Grade: B+
