The American Side

I can for the life of me not understand why this movie was made.

The plot is incredibly unoriginal. Using Nikola Tesla and a half-witted conspiracy plot as the main storyline just did not work. Presumably, the writer used him because Tesla is currently in vogue, I suppose had he written the script a few years ago the plot would have revolved around an apple conspiracy.

While the acting was good and even featured some good actors the whole storyline was convoluted, boring, and just plain bad.

I can't help wonder who financed this thing and more importantly why did Netflix buy it and subject its viewers to it.

This is the third indie film noir I have seen recently, and this is the best so far. It's an entertaining and absorbing 90 minutes, diligently written and directed and with unusually good acting performances by all concerned.

In a nutshell; Nicola Tesla was a prolific and important inventor. One invention, especially, had great importance but no one can find a complete copy of it; only one half of it exists. Private Eye/blackmailer Charlie Paczynski stumbles onto a plot wherein several agencies and countries are involved in a search for the other half. And thereby hangs a tale...

There are two minor flaws to mention; one is an extremely elaborate plot which requires your undivided attention so that you don't lose the thread. The other is the presence of Matthew Broderick, woefully miscast as an unscrupulous corporate CEO. He is too young and babyfaced, totally devoid of menace for the role of the heavy. Moreover, he seems disinterested and half-hearted in his role.

However, if you are a noir fan, go see it. It's worth your time. There are some Dashiell Hammett touches to be found, including a hard-drinking hero and some snappy Hammett dialogue (some of which falls flat). But don't forget to pay attention.

Well, what can i say, this leading actor has got no charisma, he looks (and is or should be) a tv-movie actor. That's not the only trouble this movie has got though...

More bad: the story is boring. The direction is as well, because there simply is no suspense, no thrill. And Matthew Broderick and Robert Forster only have very short lasting appearances which neither can lift this movie up either anyway.

What a dudd of a movie.

"That's a gene pool screamin' for chlorine." That is just one of many one liners I enjoyed in this film. And I have to like a middle aged balding guy who writes a film about the designs of Nicola Tesla and places it in his hometown of Buffalo. And he plays the lead - a churlish hardboiled detective (slightly Bruce Willis inspired). Good for you Greg Stuhr! His character reminds me of Bosch - if you have seen that Series.

Buffalo and Niagara Falls make interesting locations. There are a lot of great shots of the Falls. There are four decent female roles which I like. Plus some major talent with Matthew Broderick and a few old stars like Robert Vaughn and Robert Forster, who has 177 credits to his name.

Both cinematography and the sound track are excellent. It is slightly too long. The plot is a somewhat convoluted but I don't care. I like this movie and I like the aspiration of making such a film on a small budget. And would love to see Greg Stuhr playing a detective on one of the cable or network cop shows.

In order for the American Side to work, even a little bit, it's essential that you know nothing about Tesla, the man who developed alternating current. Because if you know of him, you'd know that he had no such dream of creating the mcguffin that drives the movie. Because the premise is ridiculous, the lengths to which various individuals and groups go to acquire the plans is simply not believable. But this movie has other shortcomings besides. To advance the plot, the protagonist, a down-in-the-mouth gumshoe who drives a Dodge Dart, is given entree to daytime cocktail parties and evening soirees where he is able to chat up the rich who for some reason feed him bits and snatches of what they're up to instead of simply calling the cops and having the guy thrown out. The movie is also replete with coincidences and characters whose function is to provide knowledge so as to advance the mystery, but whose fortuitous appearance stretches credulity. For example, the boat owner who hired our hero early in the film and to whom our hero returns in one of his hours of need just happens to teach physics and knows all about Tesla. There's more, but it's just too silly.