What Oppenheimer is to atomic fission, and The Imitation Game is to cryptography, Pressure is to weather. Going in, all I knew was the movie is about the weather forecast for D-Day, and the leading role is played by the excellent actor Andrew Scott.
All three movies depict uniquely brilliant men whose difficult personalities must be tolerated because of their essential importance to the war effort. In Pressure, the man at the center of the narrative is British meteorologist James Stagg.
Once the movie gets going, other historical figures are given generous chunks of screen time. Brendan Fraser is solid as a too portly Eisenhower. More impressive is Damian Lewis as Field Marshall Montgomery.
The big surprise for me was Kerry Condon, who I knew only from Better Call Saul. When I realized who she was portraying, I almost blurted out, “That’s Kay Summersby!”
Who would have thought that Eisenhower’s driver and personal secretary would ever be featured so prominently in a major motion picture? Condon is subtle and luminous in this role, as someone who deserved to be lifted out of historical obscurity almost as much as Stagg himself.
As portrayed in the movie, in today’s view Summersby was Ike’s work wife. The extent of their relationship in private is the stuff of historical conjecture. Condon portrays Kay as highly competent, on top of every detail at every moment. Her interpersonal skill set includes knowing how to “manage men.”
The Ike/Kay relationship is firmly established as a given at the outset. This makes the finely tuned scenes where Summersby gradually wins over Stagg, and then convinces Ike to put his confidence in Stagg’s ability, highlights for me. Others may be more interested in the professional conflict between Stagg and American meteorologist Irving Krick.
Want to know how D-Day turned out? Watch to find out!
I give Pressure ★★★★★
P.S. This post following one about Trump harming scientific weather forecasting isn’t coincidental.