Pressure (2026)

 

What started out as a boutique experience at the movies for us turned into one of the most compelling films of the year. We saw this film while we were in New York City for a wedding, and it was a last-minute choice on our part because it was playing at an AMC theater and we have the A-list pass so it just seemed like a fun idea to go to a movie in the Big Apple. This is a relatively small film about one of the biggest events of the last century: the invasion of Europe by Allied Forces to defeat the Nazis. The plot revolves around one of the smallest details imaginable but one that is crucial to the events that take place.  This is a movie about a weather forecast.

Brendan Fraser returns to the screen as General Dwight Eisenhower, the supreme commander of Allied Forces in World War II. He and the Brain Trust of the allies are planning the invasion of Normandy for time and secrecy. I thought Frasier's performance was very effective and probably close to the way Eisenhower must have felt at the time. Although I'm reasonably well first in the history of the war I was not particularly aware of the drive run failure that Eisenhower took responsibility for when Friendly Fire killed a number of Allied troops. The uncertainty of War is thus introduced as a key element of the story here. The general is looking to replace his own doubts with confidence in data that he doesn't really understand. The inability to trust your own decision making and look for other information that's going to help you to choose is what makes this movie compelling. 

Andrew Scott plays Captain James Stagg, a meteorologist for the British army who is trusted implicitly by Churchill but whose brittle demeanor and prickly personality alienates him from his Allied meteorologist and the chain of command that ends with Eisenhower.  Everybody who has read about World War II will have some understanding about the timing of the invasion. Operation Overlord had to be delayed because of a storm, it turns out however that the storm was not really well predicted and that the English meteorologist who had a better understanding of the North Atlantic weather patterns was the one Authority the military should be relying on. It's always interesting to me when an historical event that people know the outcome of can be presented with some suspense in spite of the fact that we know how things ended up.

The title pressure refers not only to the weather pattern but to the choices that were faced by General Eisenhower and by Captain stag. Ike is looking for certainty where none is possible, but the meteorologist working for the Americans wants to provide that certainty. The British captain, on the other hand, recognizes that such certainty is not possible when it comes to the weather of the North Atlantic. That does not however mean there is no confidence in his predictions. His perceived arrogance combined with his prickly manner, make it difficult for others to trust him in spite of his wisdom.

This is a modestly budgeted film that features a lot of talking and rooms filled with data sheets and War plans. The setting is the headquarters of the American expeditionary Force, a beautiful estate that seems like the perfect setting for observing the weather. There are a few battle sequences that concern The Invasion much of that however gravel footage. There are a few second unit set pieces to illustrate how the weather affected the invasion, but this remains for the most part a suspense film based on the conflicts between men who are all under a high degree of stress.

I have a weakness for films that move me emotionally. That's really why I go to the movies, to feel something. Sure there are times when those emotions are manipulated and if it is done in a heavy-handed way it could create a little bit of resistance to the film. That is not what is happening in this movie. The true nature of the cause is enough to inspire us. The drama between the two men at the heart of the story is compelling enough to keep us glued to the screen. The performances seem honest enough to make our emotional reactions feel sincere. More than 80 years after the events depicted in the film I can still feel a sense of pride in the men and women who made such a significant difference in the world. Thank goodness they could sustain themselves through the pressure.

The Mandolorian and Grogu (2026)

 

A Star Wars movie used to bring out huge crowds enthusiastic acolytes in an energy level that would be hard to match. Those days are long gone primarily because the movie going experience is changed so much in the last 50 years. Next year we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the original Star Wars, which had the cultural impact of the nuclear bomb on Hollywood and the youth culture. This new Star Wars film The Mandalorian and Grogu, it certainly not going to have that kind of impact. This is an adaptation of an IP created for the Disney Channel after it acquired the Star Wars property.

The Mandalorian has been a successful streaming series for Disney Plus, and in many ways it recreates some of the emotional touchstones of the original franchise. There are characters that we get a chance to know and care about although frankly the emotional depth of those characters is less than it should be. The benefit however is that we are a little more invested in what happens and are not just there for the spectacle, although frankly the spectacle is pretty spectacular.

Mandalorian and Grogu is a standalone feature enjoyed by anyone with a passing familiarity to the Star Wars universe. You do not have to be particularly invested in the three seasons of the show before you see this film. If you've seen any of the other Star Wars movies then you are relatively well prepared for what comes here. Like the original film which has subsequently been dubbed A New Hope, the Mandalorian and Grogu is a straightforward Western plot setting outer space. We know who the good guys are we can identify the bad guys, and there are a lot of other characters who show up that we can enjoy regardless of which side they end up on. 

There is a three act structure in the film; they really seem to focus on three story arcs that probably would have been episodes of the TV series. The cold open, extends the sequence long enough to have probably covered three episodes before we move on to the main villains of the season. The second act introduces key characters that are going to be in play for the rest of the film, and we get some good set pieces that take advantage of new technologies. In a call back to the original Star Wars there is a gladiator style contest that looks like it is a real world version of the game that R2D2 and Chewbacca play on the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars. Only in this instance do we have life-sized creatures facing off against each other and our heroes. And later turns into a chase with these creatures in the film Noir environment but the movie seems to be emulating. If you took Bob Hoskins out of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and dropped him into Blade Runner you would have the second act of this film, as the Mandalorian is in Pursuit of a gangster who is also part of a revived Galactic Empire movement. 

When that section of the film ends we get reconnected to the true big bads of the film, the evil twins who were brother and sister to Jabba the Hutt. A lot like Han Solo the Mandalorian ends up disfavored by the huts and captured to be tortured and killed. It is up to Grogu to manufacture I'll rescue and that takes up the last third of the film. There's nothing wrong with the three story arcs, but it does make it feel as if this is a condensed version of a 9 or 10 hour series of episodes.

There are plenty of other callbacks in the film both to the original Star Wars franchise into cross-pollinating Disney Plus Star Wars series. People who are fans of those series will probably be excited to see some of the characters that show up but folks who haven't seen all of those other shows will not be too confused by what's taking place. It's safe to see this film without having completed all of your homework. I was not on the episode of the Lambcast where we covered this movie. But my fellow Lambs expressed the same sorts of feelings I had about the movie! It is generally delightful, a little derivative, and maybe not as well structured as it could be, but you don't care because you're having a good time watching a Star Wars movie, and it's fun.

Moulin Rouge (2001) Revisit Paramount Summer Classic Film Series

 

I've actually seen the musical theater presentation of Moulin Rouge more frequently in the last couple of years than I have the film.  So it was a real treat to get a screening as part of the Paramount summer classic film festival. This was our first return to the Paramount Theater for the summer season, and of course it will be a brief return because the theater is closing down for 11 months for renovation. Screenings will continue next door at the State Theater, which will be pursuing renovations after the Paramount is done.

There is a cacophony of sounds in Moulin Rouge, times can be overwhelming. There are however other moments of quiet Melody that said a tone of romance very effectively. The juxtaposition of these two styles can be jarring at times, which probably accounts for the fact that not everybody cares much for this film. I on the other hand appreciate the effort to do something authentically different well at the same time appealing to an audience with familiar songs and music.

The tone of the film is occasionally comic, but usually it is overwhelmingly sincere in spite of its simplistic supposedly bohemian themes. Nicole Kidman was at the Apex of her beauty when this film was made. Not that she doesn't continue to be a lovely presence on screen, but this was a moment in time when her appearance could almost be described as created by artificial intelligence. Stunningly, she also has a very nice voice and conveys power and emotion with the songs that she sings. The Old Chestnut that Marilyn Monroe made famous, Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend, is used continuously throughout the film to reflect the amoral attitudes of the gold diggers who populate the chorus in the film. We are however supposed to sympathize with them because after all they are exploited by others who are well off. To me the pretentious themes of the Bohemians feels like a long-term joke, that is playing out again a century after the events depicted in this film.

Ewan McGregor also has a naturally developed singing voice that carries a lot of the narrative of this jukebox Musical. He also is a handsome spectacle that would be enticing to that part of the audience drawn to a vibrant young man. For me the most fun in the movie is trying to discern which song is having its chorus or verse edited into The Continuous stream of exposition in the form of music. Those of you who know me will understand how I was delighted when a kiss song appears in the film.  Director Baz Luhrmann has consistently found innovative ways to make movies look different. There is some criticism of his style because although his movies look different from other people's films, they sometimes seem reminiscent of his own. Since he isn't producing films on a yearly basis I don't find that problematic.

In addition to the music the visuals of the film combine practical stage sets with miniatures and traditional optic effects to make the movie look spectacular( spectacular). Sometimes there's sepia-toned filters, occasionally soft focus camera work, and frequently there is dynamic use of light to make the screen come alive. All of it is accentuated by bright colors, particularly Reds, which hold our attention and stimulate our emotions.  

Is salt on our auditory senses can be overwhelming, which might make the movie Something of a chore for some moviegoers. Accounts for the reason I've not seen the film much since it opened 25 years ago. We first acquired the DVD of the film the year it was in theaters and my kids watched it frequently for the next couple of years, but they moved on to other movies and by 05, we were done with this for the most part. In the last couple of years however, my youngest daughter has become a theater kid, and on one of our trips to New York City, we saw Moulin Rouge with the original leads of the stage Musical reprising their roles. Just last year Broadway Austin presented the touring version of the musical here at the Bass Concert Hall, and we attended that as well.

The nostalgia that comes from watching a movie that was so distinctive 25 years ago and to which my children were devoted for a period of time was one of the main reasons I enjoyed are screening this last month. The movie is still a technical Marvel in an artistic gamble that I think pays off, but I will admit that it will not be something I rush out to see again. I need to catch my breath.