MOVIE REVIEW: PRESSURE

 

The fate of the free world hangs in the balance as Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and Capt. James Stagg face an impossible choice -- launch the D-Day invasion or risk losing World War II altogether.

Director: Anthony Maras

Cast: Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon, Chris Messina, Damian Lewis

Release Date: May 29, 2026

Genre: Drama, History, Thriller, War

Rated PG-13 for war violence, bloody images, some strong language, and smoking

Runtime: 1h 40m

Review:

Pressure is an earnest exploration of the logistical challenges rarely talked about in the lead up to the D-Day invasion in the form of a well-acted potboiler powered by strong performances from its cast.  There has been a myriad of films about World War 2 by this point with most of them focusing on the battlefield which makes this exploration of the logistical planning all the more intriguing.  Director Anthony Maras uses that aspect to his benefit as he sets up the collection of characters working together and occasionally against each other as they try to execute something that’s never been done before.  The outcome is the stuff of history book, but Mara still manages to create a tangible sense of tension primarily based off the internal conflicts of the large personalities in the mix played deftly by a strong collection of performers.  Andrew Scott leads the way as the stoic and self-assured Scottish meteorologist James Stagg who is steadfast in his knowledge and convictions.  Scott delivers a laser focused performance that allows the character’s intellect and somewhat abrasive nature come through while allowing for quieter moments of self-doubt and agony especially when it comes to his pregnant wife.  Brendan Fraser is just as solid as Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, who is a big, bombastic personality but with added layers that reflect how deeply he feels his failures and his desire to prove himself worthy of his position.  It’s a fascinating juxtaposition especially when he’s challenged by Damian Lewis’s much more experienced British commander Bernard “Monty” Montgomery.  Lewis brings an overbearing sense of self confidence even though he’s been relegated under Fraser’s less experienced Eisenhower with their interplay making for some of the film’s more fascinating moments, something the script should have taken more advantage of.  Less interesting is a similar adversarial relationship between Scott’s Stagg and his American counterpart Irving P. Krick played by Chris Messina.  Their relationships play out in a predicable nature of dislike which grows into earned respect that isn’t fleshed out the way it should be.   Kerry Condon is the film’s lifeblood and the connective tissue that traverses the myriads of personality Eisenhower’s steadfast secretary Kay Summersby had to deal with.  There’s little doubt that there’s a hefty amount of dramatization of the actual events but it’s done in such a manner that it’s probably the most engaging film about weather reports you’ll see and makes Pressure a perfect lead up into a film like Saving Private Ryan. 

B+

Cindy Prascik's Review of 1917

Yesterday it was off to the cinema for a long-awaited and much-anticipated screening of 1917.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailer. In the midst of World War I, a pair of British soldiers is sent on a dangerous mission to deliver an important message.

Dearest reader(s), my expectations for 1917 were so high--SO HIGH--and the movie managed to exceed them in every way. 1917 is a close-up depiction of both the horror and the heroism of war.

Lacking big battle scenes, it follows two young men on a harrowing and deeply personal mission. Bigger names in the cast, including Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Scott, Mark Strong, and Richard Madden, turn up for what amounts to little more than cameos, while George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman do the heavy lifting. A fine job of it they do, particularly MacKay, who surely should have been acknowledged among the year's finest performances. The movie is mostly quiet and deliberate, with the subdued soundtrack providing an ominous undertone, so each burst of noisy violence is an ugly shock to the system. The "single shot" format (actually several long shots) is highly effective, making the perilous journey feel almost like real time. 1917 looks gorgeous and offers a gut-punch or two to remind everyone of the terrible cost of war.

Art is subjective, and I don't think anyone's opinion is more valid than anyone else's; however, if you're reading this, I assume you're at least somewhat interested in mine, so here's the bottom line: When I watch a movie like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or the Irishman, much of what I see on the screen is the director's ego. The beauty of great art is that there is no trace of that; every person's effort--however extraordinary--is entirely in service to the art itself. Many exceptional talents conspired to create the work of art that is 1917, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood isn't fit to carry its muddy boots.

1917 clocks in at 119 minutes and is rated R for "violence, some disturbing images, and language."

1917 is a reminder of how magical a truly exceptional film can make the cinema experience.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, 1917 gets all nine. Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: 1917

Two British soldiers receive seemingly impossible orders during World War I. In a race against time, they must cross into enemy territory to deliver a message that could potentially save 1,600 of their fellow comrades -- including one's own brother.

Director: Sam Mendes

Cast: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch

Release Date: December 25, 2019

Genres: Drama, War

Rated R for violence, some disturbing images, and language

Runtime: 1h 59min

Review:

It takes a special kind of talent to a take a simplistic story, which has been done before, and make it a thoroughly engrossing journey from start to finish.  Sam Mendes pulls this off by using some visual trickery to make the film seem like it runs in a series of unbroken cuts and populating his film with memorial visual moments. Oscar winning cinematographer Roger Deakin's visual flair is on full display here, matched with Mendes direction gives the audience some truly mesmerizing moments some of which feel closer to horror movie beats than a war film.  These visual cues make what amounts to a simplified Saving Private Ryan engaging right from the start even though there are far fewer characters to follow.  The cast primarily consist of George MacKay & Dean-Charles Chapman with the latter carrying the majority of the load.  Much like Saving Private Ryan, you have a handful of name actors pop up here and there for quick cameos but ultimately it's MacKay that's the audience's primary proxy.  He delivers a strong performance which makes you feel every moment of his trek from fear to exhaustion  even in the film's quieter moments which are just as frazzling as the more action fueled sequences.  As a whole, the film is a technical marvel that doesn't forget to capture the human moments in the horror of war. 

A-