‘Pressure’ a Worthwhile Addition to the World War II Canon … and Another Win for the ‘Brenaissance’

Pressure proves to be an enjoyably concise depiction of the often-overlooked drama of determining the weather forecast for the D-Day invasions in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. With a runtime less than two hours and no period piece clichés, it is a movie worth seeing.

It’s impossible to spoil this movie. I don’t know what to say to anyone reading this review who fears there may be a spoiler for a movie about one of the biggest events in world history. This is not Inglourious Basterds.

Cinematic adaptations of history can be risky. Too often we find ourselves watching a sensationalized version of the events due to the subject matter’s often documented banality. Sometimes it is clearly more Hollywood than history. This was the case when I screened Nuremberg last fall (to be fair, I had just read The Nuremberg Trial by John Tusa and Ann Tusa, so I had more expectations than the average viewer). Great performances cannot obscure blatant clichés. When I saw the trailer for Pressure, I feared this would be another example of Hollywood simply recreating the aesthetics of the era. Fortunately, this movie was able to assuage any apprehension I had going into the theater (I cannot emphasize this enough: don’t stay home to watch via streaming).

What I appreciated was the depiction of the culture that ultimately propelled the Allies to victory in World War II over Nazi Germany: that a democratic society could find ways to work together rather than obey the will of one man. Any historian will point out that while nearly everybody landed in the wrong location (infantry or paratroopers), they were able to improvise teams and possessed the confidence to lead based on the training they all had received. In Pressure, we see plenty of characters with totally different personalities and energies tasked with leading the largest invasion in history. One would think that disaster was imminent. 

Andrew Scott delivers as Scottish meteorologist James Stagg, a rather unpleasant chap whose workplace philosophy appears to be “facts don’t care about your feelings.” This is clearly contrasted with his more free-spirited American counterpart, Irving Krick (perhaps more artistic indulgence than history, but it at least was not overdone). I have praise for Damian Lewis as British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery (the actor’s second time participating in D-Day, the first being as U.S. Army Major Richard Winters in Band of Brothers). Lewis hits the nail on the head as Monty, who was brimming with pride and pettiness, but clearly qualified for his tasks.

Of course, we must focus on the big dog: Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, played by Brendan Fraser. If there is any reason to recommend this movie to anyone who has no interest in the World War II genre, then it should be a chance to experience more of the “Brenaissance” as one of the biggest actors of the 90s and early 2000s is back where he belongs. Fraser does not try to radically perfect a physical performance that captures the voice or posture of Eisenhower (but he did nail the chain-smoking of Camel cigarettes). He plays the man as he was: a gentle giant from Kansas who understood the stakes and took full accountability.

Much can be said about Kerry Condon’s portrayal of Irishwoman Kay Summersby, Eisenhower’s personal assistant and, quite often, companion and moral support. Condon gets the opportunity that most women do not get in World War II media: a significant role in the war. Her proximity to Eisenhower gives her an understanding of the war that practically nobody else can ever have. But most importantly, she is Eisenhower’s friend, and sometimes that is all someone needs when they, individually, have been tasked with defeating the Nazis. She plays the role in a realistic manner, with nothing that would make the audience roll their eyes.

When it came to depicting the actual mission of D-Day, I had low expectations. Steven Spielberg threw everyone off course when he released Saving Private Ryan, and by the end of the D-Day sequence, not even a full 30 minutes into the movie, everybody knew he would rightfully receive the Oscar for Best Director. In Pressure, we get a hybrid depiction of the beach landings and the perspective of those in command back in England. We get glimpses of what Spielberg had done (troops getting mowed down before they can even step off their landing crafts) as well as the anxieties of command when they experience a communication blackout and had no idea what was going on for several hours.

Pressure will not take the world by storm (no pun intended). It will be another addition to a genre audiences will never grow tired of. It will not be one of the top-ranked of the genre alongside Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, Bridge on the River Kwai or The Dirty Dozen. Pressure will likely be the overlooked hidden gem for fans of the World War II genre or fans of Brendan Fraser, Andrew Scott or anybody else in its cast.

About the Author: Having lived in Old Lyme and Lyme since the age of three, Kevin Ganey has a lifelong passion for cinema that goes beyond simply watching films. He is the creator of CityOfCinema.com, a site devoted to movie analysis, and co-hosts the Moviehouse Mystics podcast with Koda Uhl, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.