Baby Boomers call it The War. They grew up surrounded by people with recent and powerful memories of 1939 – 1945. But viewpoints and awareness change over the years and, by the time Millennials came along, calling it World War II was the norm. Details of even landmark events had faded into the recesses of public memory. So Anthony Maras’ Pressure faces a number of challenges – but, with a spirit typical of WWII, it manages to overcome them all.

In June 1944, Allied troops under the command of General Dwight D Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) were preparing to change the course of both the war and history. The plan was to land on the beaches of Normandy and push back the forces of Nazi Germany. A date had been set, but there was one thing that not even the most senior military officers could predict or change. The weather. On the advice of Churchill, Eisenhower brings in James Stagg (Andrew Scott), Britain’s chief meteorological officer, to oversee the weather forecast. But although everything the top brass has been told points to the conditions on the chosen day being perfect, Stagg is adamant a storm is brewing and is unafraid to say so. The future of Europe and beyond, and millions of people, hangs in the balance

That D-Day happened and resulted in a much-hoped-for victory is well known, but that’s another challenge for Maras and his team – and they’re in stellar company. Christopher Nolan faced the same problem in both Oppenheimer and Dunkirk. Keeping the audience’s attention when they already know the outcome is notoriously difficult. But here we’re presented with a behind-the-scenes view of one of the key moments of WWII, the story behind what has since become a footnote in history, and that gives it an element of the unknown.

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The break in the stormy weather on June 4^th meant the mission could go ahead. In the countdown to the day, the film bristles with tension and clashing personalities as Stagg stands his ground against the senior military, including Field Marshall Montgomery (Damian Lewis), convinced that the weather won’t allow the invasion to take place. His opposite number, American meteorologist Irving Crick (Chris Messina), has staked his own reputation on a forecast of brilliant sunshine and gentle breezes.

The film’s title – and that of the play on which it’s based – is packed with meaning, from the meteorological to the military and the personal. It makes for an absorbing experience, one that’s unexpectedly emotional at times, with Stagg shouldering much of the pressure. A superb Scott brings heart and dignity to the quiet spoken man who keeps his work and personal life severely separate in a way that’s reminiscent of Tom Hanks’ Captain Phillips. Refusing to go along with the more optimistic forecast, he makes his own case with authority and power, all the while worrying about his heavily pregnant wife at home. The contrast between his public and private personae is tangible in his first two scenes – at home, making sure his wife has a boiled egg for breakfast (rationing meant they were in short supply), and at work, where he’s distant, detail-oriented and demanding of his team.

Pressure’s origins hardly show. Despite the theatrical production concentrating on one room, the film takes us further afield to show other lesser-known events in the run-up to D-Day, and there’s little or no sense of it being stage-bound. And Scott is surrounded by an impressive cast, from a commanding Fraser as Eisenhower to Lewis as a canny and determined Montgomery. The Banshees of Inisherin’s Kerry Condon as Kay Summersby delicately treads the tightrope of being Eisenhower’s right hand while bringing a human touch to his fraught relationships with the senior British military. It all adds up to a solid, thought-provoking film, regardless of the audience’s age, about people facing the unthinkable with intelligence and how pursuing the truth can mean standing alone.

★★★★

In UK cinemas from September 9^th / Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Damian Lewis, Christ Messina, Kerry Condon / Dir: Anthony Maras / StudioCanal / 12A

About the Author

Freda Cooper

Editor

Freda is a Senior Writer at The People's Movies. A lifelong movie fan and a film critic for over ten years, Freda’s natural habitat is the darkened rooms frequented by fellow cineastes. She can also be found asking questions of some of the biggest names in the business – from Cate Blanchett to Daniel Craig or Mike Leigh to Pete Docter – or crafting reviews for a number of sites and publications, including The People’s Movies. And listeners to BBC Local Radio can catch her views on the latest releases. She always – and probably always will – cite The Third Man as her favourite film of all time. Her top ten? That’s a moveable feast …..

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