A Reel Review: PRESSURE

Over the years, we have seen countless films focusing on the most exciting professions: cops, doctors, lawyers, pilots…even chefs. But what about meteorologists? The seldom-appreciated, often-mocked job of predicting the weather doesn’t get much love on the big screen. But during a vital few days in 1944, one weather prediction had the pressure of the fate of the world resting on it. 

 

It is June 1944, days before the famed D-Day invasion. General Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser), assigns meteorologist  Captain James Stagg (Andrew Scott), the job of predicting the weather for the invasion…creating a decision to launch or delay. 

 

Directed by Anthony Maras and based on the 2014 stage play, PRESSURE follows the battle of weather-guys with the immense and important invasion waiting to go. Stagg relies on scientific data, while his counterpart, American forecaster Col. Krick (Chris Messina), relies on historical patterns. Stagg sees stormy weather and recommends a delay, while Krick predicts sunny weather and recommends the attack commence. The two battle while Eisenhower and his Allied leaders need to decide and decide soon. 

 

Director Anthony Maras does excellent work in ramping up the tension, and yes…the pressure hanging over the film. The stakes are enormous; the longer the invasion force waits, the higher the risk of the operation being discovered. But invade during a storm, and it could be disaster. It’s real-world high stakes with science saying how things are, versus wishful thinking, giving PRESSURE a modern-day relevancy. 

 

Acting is superb. Brendan Fraser is perfectly cast as Ike, and Andrew Scott plays the socially awkward but brilliant Stagg very well. Kerry Condon plays Ike’s assistant and lights up the screen, and Damian Lewis as Bernard Montgomery is a delight. 

 

PRESSURE is one of those war movies where most of the fighting happens between characters without a shot fired. The invasion eventually happens, and the short but effective sequence we see on the beach is powerful and will have audiences ducking for cover. Science is the real victor here, giving meteorologists the film they have been waiting for. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it