Pressure

Pressure
Starring Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon, Chris Messina
Directed by Anthony Maras

I've always been fascinated with the weather, and how it impacts our day-to-day lives. When it's cold and snowy, I don't want to go out, but when its sunny and warm, I don't mind it. If there's some major storms coming, I don't want to travel far, but if it's a clear day I don't mind driving miles away. It's also a fascinating thing to study, because weathermen are well known for being wrong more often than right, due to the unpredictability of weather. Imagine how it was in the 1940s, before we had all these different radar systems that accurately predict weather days before it happened - and imagine how significant weather was during World War II, as the Allied forces planned their most dangerous mission yet, and one that could turn the tide of the war - as long as the weather followed suit.

In June 1944, the Allied forces are planning Operation Overload, also known as D-Day, that will result in numerous Allied forces storming the beach of Normandy to the surprise of the Germans, but General Dwight Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) is having doubts about it after the failed practice attempt known as Exercise Tiger. He doesn't want to put men's lives at risk so recklessly, so he enlists James Stagg (Andrew Scott), a well-established Scottish meteorologist to predict the weather for the planned D-Day of Monday, June 5th. Stagg, a no-nonsense man, isn't well liked by anyone, especially American forecaster and Eisenhower's close ally Irving Krick (Chris Messina). The two men come to mental blows right away, with Krick relying on past weather patterns to discern that it'll be a sunny day, while Stagg's analysis of real-time barometric pressure data shows it'll be a storm. Eisenhower and his fellow commanders want a concrete decision, but Stagg can't give it to them due to the unpredictability of the weather patterns, possibly shutting down the planned D-Day invasion and possibly turning the tide of the war.

It took me awhile to see "Pressure" because I honestly wouldn't think I'd like it. A movie based on weather patterns didn't seem exciting, especially during the blockbuster summer months, but after getting around to it I was surprised how much I liked it. There was real tension in the script, and a sense of excitement and thrill I wasn't expecting to see as two men battled brains over weather patterns. On paper it sounds boring, but on screen it was anything but.

That's due to several factors that, like a perfect warm front, convalesced in tandem. First is the story itself, which is based on a true story (which, of course, means certain aspects were added for excitement, and other moments - such as the real life Norwegian meteorologist Sverre Petterssen who actually convinced Eisenhower to delay the invasion - get cut entirely) and featured some great tension as Stagg and Krick come to blows with their vastly differing views of the weather on the supposed future date. Eisenhower as well comes off as more arrogant than he probably was, but, like the title suggests, he was under a lot of pressure after the failure of Exercise Tiger. It seemed everyone was against Stagg and his findings, which put him at odds with literally everyone else in the room.

Andrew Scott takes command as Stagg and plays the role with an erstwhile steadfast nature that makes him essentially an immovable rock. He knows his findings and, even though he knows it's not 100% precise, stands by them no matter what anyone else thinks. On the other end there's Chris Messina's cocky Krick, who accurately predicted other weather patterns, albeit in Northern Africa where the weather is easier to predict than in Northern Europe. While Krick is sunshine and rainbows, Stagg is doom and gloom, which makes Eisenhower's decision all the more potent and imperative. Brendan Fraser gives a decent performance here, even if he sometimes over-acts the role, making the future President more a caricature than a human. Rounding out the cast is Kerry Condon's Kay Summersby, Eisenhower's assistant, who wasn't as well-written as her male counterparts. 

The cinematography from Jamie Ramsay and set designs also make the film "pop" with semi-sepia tones that make viewers reminiscent of World War II days (even though, obviously, the world wasn't in sepia tones back then, we just associate that grain with the time). Volker Bertelmann's musical score also swells, especially when the D-Day event occurs, and the film does a great job at making you forget you already know the outcome. The movie shows the strength Stagg commanded when everyone else around him doubted his ability, and thanks to his steadfastness we were able to win the War - thanks to the weather.

The Score: A-