As far as I know, the proverb “For Want of a Nail” was originally written in the 1600s by the poet George Herbert. Benjamin Franklin, in the 1758 edition of “Poor Richard’s Almanack,” wrote a longer version:

For want of a nail the shoe was lost;

for want of a shoe the horse was lost;

and for want of a horse the rider was lost,

being overtaken and slain by the enemy,

all for want of care about a horse-shoe nail.

Back then, as now, that proverb reminds us that it’s the little things that can screw up everything. The things we take for granted can whipsaw back – hard. That concept was top of mind for the Allies in 1944. They had one shot to strike a decisive blow against the Nazis, and a small detail like weather could doom them. That’s the premise of the gripping World War II drama Pressure.

We begin in April of 1944 with a dying young man. He bleeds out on the beaches of Devon, one of over 700 casualties. He’s a casualty of Exercise Tiger, a practice run for what will ultimately be known as D-Day. As General Dwight Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) walks among the carnage, he bears the weight of failure. Eisenhower understands that the catastrophe of Exercise Tiger was due to a few factors: radio frequencies that were not shared, issues with tactics, and weather. Frequencies can be changed and tactics can be altered. Weather can be planned for – to an extent.

Eisenhower, English General Bernard Montgomery (Damian Lewis), and English Admiral Bertram Ramsay (Robert Portal) have planned the upcoming D-Day down to the smallest detail. Inflatable tanks and planes have been strategically placed as decoys, and battle strategy has been adjusted. Yet the one x-factor is the weather. 

As the assault is scheduled for June 5, Eisenhower brings in James Stagg (Andrew Scott) on June 3. He’s England’s Chief Meteorological Officer, and he’s very good at what he does. He’s also prickly and a bit distracted due to the extremely advanced pregnancy of his wife Liz (Tamsin Topolski). 

At a meeting, Eisenhower asks Irving Krick (Chris Messina), the head American meteorologist, what the likely forecast for June 5 will be. Krick refers to past forecasts, and confidently predicts a sunny day. Stagg disagrees. He notes two storm systems traveling toward Normandy, and warns of the likelihood of poor visibility and high waves, which would spell disaster for the invasion. From there, they’re forced into an agonizing choice, either risk the assault or risk losing the war entirely.

Given that Pressure is a drama about science, ethics, and the benefits of people working together, I expect it to bomb since those are all things Americans largely don’t care about. That’s a pity since it’s a handsome film made with a high degree of skill. That’s not to say it’s in any way boring, and in fact, director Anthony Maras ratchets up the tension effectively. How effective? Consider that he creates nail-biting tension through shots of clouds and sequences of people arguing about the weather. The irony is that, near the end of the film, Maras’ brief scenes of warfare during D-Day are considerably less exciting than the scenes of people in a command center listening to radio chatter.

That’s because the screenplay by Maras and David Haig* is laser-focused on character and perspectives. There are no good guys or bad guys here. Instead, there are intelligent professionals. Consider that Stagg operates strictly on current data, and he’s aware that his collection methods are primitive and that data can change fast. Krick, however, uses historical analogues. He focuses on factors in the past and repeating cycles. On top of all that is Eisenhower, who demands certainty. That creates constant conflict with Stagg, who reminds the General that certainty doesn’t exist when it comes to weather. 

With one exception, the cast lives up to the high bar created by the script. As usual, Kerry Condon does excellent work as Kay Summersby, Eisenhower’s aide-de-camp.** Her performance is smart, flinty, and she’s the conscience of the film. Initially, I wondered if the film was setting up Chris Messina’s Krick as a confidently wrong antagonist to Stagg. Not so much, and Messina shows us that while Krick may be somewhat wrong, he’s somewhat right. Andrew Scott’s Stagg is brilliant, prickly, controlled, and quietly vulnerable. He plays a man grappling with the responsibility of playing a critical role in D-Day’s success or failure, yet he also has the knowledge that he can’t guarantee clear skies for the day of the assault. It’s an outstanding performance that’s Oscar worthy.

That brings us to Brendan Fraser. I’ve always thought his versatility was underappreciated. He could do action, comedy, drama, and would always acquit himself nicely. The man has presence, and that’s part of my issue with his portrayal as Eisenhower.**** As played, Fraser’s Eisenhower is a robust man who takes up a lot of space in any room he walks into. Fraser also effectively taps into Eisenhower’s deep understanding of his responsibility as the Allies’ Supreme Commander. Watch how he subtly underplays his scene with Kerry Condon. His Eisenhower informs her he’s written a letter accepting full responsibility if D-Day fails.*** That moment has real power, and Fraser can tap into deep wells of compassion and duty, but what I couldn’t find is a sense of command or gravitas. Actors like Ed Harris or Gene Hackman made a career of playing roles like that, and those two would have crushed this role. This doesn’t mean Fraser is a bad actor – far from it. I think he did his level best and was simply miscast.

It’s astonishing to consider that D-Day could have failed, and the Allies could have ultimately lost World War II, all due to a weather forecast. Those small moments mean everything. Pressure understands that, and seriously engages with the idea of honorable people up against impossible problems. This is one of the best films of the year.***** 

*The film is based on Haig’s 2014 play.

**There have been rumors that Eisenhower and Summersby had a long-running affair. Here, they’re work spouses. 

***Contrast that with politicians today who are positively allergic to accountability.

****It’s also true that Fraser looks nothing like the real Eisenhower. That’s probably a blessing. Take a look at the insane prosthetics worn by Woody Harrelson when he played Lyndon Johnson in LBJ. The end result there looks like Johnson was microwaved twenty seconds too long.

*****I know we’re barely into June. Sometimes you get a feeling about these things.

Tim Brennan Movie Critic

Tim has been alarmingly enthusiastic about movies ever since childhood. He grew up in Boulder and, foolishly, left Colorado to study Communications in Washington State. Making matters worse, he moved to Connecticut after meeting his too-good-for-him wife. Drawn by the Rockies and a mild climate, he triumphantly returned and settled down back in Boulder County. He's written numerous screenplays, loves hiking, and embarrassed himself in front of Samuel L. Jackson. True story.