What do you get when you combine Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon, the weather, and history? You get Pressure, the latest from Anthony Maras that follows General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Fraser) as he brings in meteorologist Captain James Stagg (Scott) to determine whether to launch the D-Day invasion, facing the possibility of losing the war. Historical dramas always have an audience, but their quality varies. Fortunately for Pressure, its angle works surprisingly well for being a story that is mainly focused on the weather.
On paper, Pressure doesn’t seem all that enjoyable, but to say I wasn’t curious is an understatement. What helps with this story is a great central performance from Scott. The film isn’t anything extraordinary, but he elevates the experience. Fraser has his moments as Eisenhower, but nothing stands out. Condon is a more grounded, calm character in the many moments of chaos and heightened decision-making. Together, the three actors are the main driving factors in the rather lackluster story.
While the story isn’t groundbreaking, it is unique. The weather aspect and the tension created by keeping the central conflict out of the characters’ control work. Especially since another military officer, played by Chris Messina, is convinced it is not going to storm, but Scott is 99 percent certain it will. The fact that Eisenhower learns to trust one side is played out well. It is a lot of talking in different rooms, bringing up similar ideas, but it doesn’t feel inherently repetitive, as each conversation brings in new information to the overall weather system they are tracking. That is a majority of this story with some smaller beats, such as Stagg’s relationship with his pregnant wife sprinkled in, but they do not add much to the overall narrative.
The filmmaking is serviceable; since it is a mostly walking-and-talking movie, there is not much you can do creatively with the camerawork. The story does take place in one location, with only two to three rooms, so you can only have the camerawork go so far.
Maras finds his strength in the third act with the strongest sequences of the film, especially a monologue done in the war room by Scott. It really puts everything we have witnessed so far into perspective and how dire the situation has become. The monologue also highlights all the pressure that has been building, both literally and figuratively, and it makes the film’s title incredibly smart. That is what works best for the movie; it is nothing overall outstanding, but it is effective when it needs to be. It is able to land the plane with some minor turbulence along the way.
What is great for Pressure is that while there are a lot of historical dramas from many different aspects, there isn’t one that is quite like this to compare it to. I would absolutely recommend this movie alone based on the premise. It also helps that the actors involved are great for the most part, and that the script can make you feel invested in what is going on, since it easily could have gone to the wayside. Considering this is Maras’s second feature film, it will be interesting to see where he goes creatively from here.
Review Courtesy of Jacob Diedenhofer
Feature Image Credit to Focus Features and Studio Canal