NEW YORK (OSV News) – For British meteorologist James Stagg (Andrew Scott), the central figure in the fact-based World War II drama “Pressure” (Focus), the “longest day” was probably not the eventual date of the Allied invasion of Normandy. Instead it was likely the day he had to advise that the greatest amphibious landing of troops in history be postponed.
Stagg’s gloomy prediction for the original date of the operation, Monday, June 5, 1944, is titanically bad news for Allied supreme commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser). It also brings him into conflict with Ike’s longtime American weatherman, Irving P. Krick (Chris Messina), who insists the skies will be fair.
Tightly-wound and hard-driving, Stagg is not portrayed as someone who makes friends easily. Yet he does succeed in gaining the sympathy of Eisenhower’s girl Friday, Kay Summersby (Kerry Condon). She strives to make peace between Stagg and Krick and counsels Stagg that Ike’s bark is worse than his bite.
Less helpful is the irksome presence of future field marshal Bernard “Monty” Montgomery (Damian Lewis). He not only butts heads with Stagg but proves a sometimes insubordinate and even insulting thorn in Eisenhower’s side as well, reminding the latter — an organizer of genius but a lifelong staff officer — that, unlike Monty, he has never been in the line of fire.
Stagg’s loving relationship with his pregnant wife, Liz (Tamsin Topolski), is another source of concern. Security for D-Day debars Stagg from communicating with Liz and severely limits his ability to monitor her welfare.
In adapting his co-writer David Haig’s 2014 play, director Anthony Maras crafts a grippingly tense movie in which the real-life stakes could not be higher. While the initially unexpected outcome of the situation can be seen by believers as providential, a sequence portraying a Sunday church service at headquarters is more significant dramatically than theologically.
While most of “Pressure” transpires in temporary offices in the U.K., the picture does include graphic scenes of slaughter on the beaches of France. Older teens equipped to grapple with such material — as well as the smattering of probably realistic vulgarity in the dialogue — will benefit from the educational value of this well-acted and otherwise restrained dramatization.
The film contains grim combat violence with some gory images, several uses of profanity, at least one milder oath and a couple of crude terms. The OSV News classification is A-III – adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
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