Movie Reviews
Film Review: “Pressure” – MediaMikes
- PRESSURE
- Starring: Brendan Fraser, Andrew Scott and Kerry Condon
- Directed by: Anthony Maras
- Rated: R
- Running time: 1 hr 40 mins
- Focus Features
Our score: 3.5 out of 5
On the most recent episode of our “Back in the Day” podcast the crew and I took a look at some of the greatest war movies ever made. In doing my research I learned that there have been more then 5,000 feature films dealing with World War II alone. 5,000!! Some of them are regarded as some of the best films ever made (The Best Years of Our Lives, Patton, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan) while others I’d never seen. As Memorial Day rolls along this year we are treated to another one: Pressure.
The film opens on the aftermath of what can only be called a horrible tragedy. Overlooking the carnage, General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Fraser) can only curse.
Jump ahead six months where we meet British meteorologist James Stagg (Scott). Awaiting the birth of his child, he is summoned to meet with Eisenhower and his staff to forecast the weather conditions that will be taking place during an operation they are calling “D-Day.” Stagg continually butts heads with Colonel Krick (Chris Messina), whose method of predicting future weather from past events is not a practice Stagg embraces. The two continually clash, much to the chagrin of an increasingly agitated Eisenhower. Doing her best to keep the peace is Lieutenant Kay Summersby (Condon), Eisenhower’s aide and buffer. It’s not an easy job.
Well presented with an outstanding attention to detail, Pressure could be looked at as the prequel to Saving Private Ryan, which opens with the invasion of Normandy, while this film looks at the events leading up to that day. The cast is strong, with Fraser at his best when going head to head with British General Bernard Montgomery (Damian Lewis), whose “gung – ho” attitude robs Ike the wrong way. It doesn’t help that “Monty” keeps referencing that, unlike others, he has battlefield experience. He also throws “Exercise Tiger,” easily Eisenhower’s worse military chapter, out when it suits him. (NOTE: For those unaware, Exercise Tiger was basically a practice run for D-Day, with young soldiers taking place in a military exercise. However, due to poor communications, live ammunition was used and nearly 1,000 soldiers and seamen were killed.)
The film has it’s dramatic moments but it’s also anti-climactic because, while they continually stress that the invasion will take place on June 5th, anyone with any knowledge of history knows D-Day was June 6th. So when Ike asks if everything is good for June 5th, you want to shake your head and tell him “no, sir.”
That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the film. I did. When I was born, Eisenhower was president – JFK would be elected two months later. And it was a genuine treat to be sitting in the theatre with some of Eisenhower’s great grandchildren. It lent a nice historical aspect to the screening.
On a scale of zero fo five, Pressure receives ★★★ ½