Pressure

Just when you thought every aspect of the D-Day military operation had been chronicled on film, along comes Pressure, which reveals a new enemy for Allied troop leaders — severe thunderstorms.

Despite the heightened sociopolitical stakes, it’s difficult to derive much excitement from 1940s weather forecasting, well before the days of radar or warning systems.

So credit this straightforward, ttrue-life period melodrama for deriving as much meteorological suspense as possible while it details a fascinating behind-the-scenes battle that had nothing to do with Nazis, yet had pivotal ramifications on World War II.

The story is set at Allied headquarters in England, where Dwight Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) is finalizing plans for an ambush landing on the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 5, 1944.

Nobody dares to contradict the demanding U.S. general’s game plan except for James Stagg (Andrew Scott), the strong-willed Scottish meteorologist who left his pregnant wife back home to head up a weather team using historical data and first-person accounts to give an educated guess, and ultimately a final sign-off.

While becoming a nuisance to Eisenhower and his team of advisors, Stagg also engages in a power struggle with his American forecasting counterpart (Chris Messina) over methods and procedure, with Eisenhower’s personal assistant (Kerry Condon) forced to play referee.

As the clock ticks, Stagg’s bold prediction of dangerous storms amplifies the daunting logistics and strategic disadvantages of postponement.

Despite some heavy-handed tendencies and an underlying familiarity, the film resonates with an incisive glimpse into its central moral dilemma, as the product of some compelling backroom maneuvering and bickering.

The character-driven screenplay by playwright David Haig and director Anthony Maras (Hotel Mumbai) is well-researched, even if some of the conflicts are embellished or speculative.

Stagg was a pompous jerk, although Scott (All of Us Strangers) finds hard-earned sympathy in a portrayal that projects a quietly powerful sense of inner turmoil. Meanwhile, Fraser (The Whale) bears little physical resemblance to Eisenhower, but does his best with Ike’s authoritative speech and mannerisms.

Of course, there’s no surprise regarding the eventual outcome in Pressure, which is a treat for history buffs with its fresh insight into how weather can impact war strategy — and in this case, even change the course of history.

Rated PG-13, 100 minutes.