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.

what a treat. this little gem of a movie just proves what can be done with a small budget, a great script and a director with a vision. love that it's a throwback and we can have drama, intrigue and a fun, twisty plot and never have to see problems solved with smartphones! it also has a fantastic look and feel. such a love letter to buffalo and to the work of tesla too. it's a blast solving the mystery while you get an education about a great inventor who the world doesn't really know. also, it's great so see so many new faces mixed in with so many veteran actors. you can just tell that it was made with love and care and with great admiration for some of the great noir thrillers of yesteryear.

If there is anyone who loves classic mysteries, but wants something new and exciting, "The American Side" is a must see. When the film starts, you think you know where the story is going, but it quickly becomes something much more complex. Every time you think you've figured out what is going to happen, everything changes and the journey becomes even more compelling. It is thought provoking and suspenseful, and kept me interested from start to finish. Its amazing cast only helped make an already great story wonderful. There were lots of familiar faces, as well as a few new ones, keeping the film well balanced and promising for a great viewing experience. It is a throwback to old classics, while still offering something unique to its viewers.

For a specifically tailored thriller, "The American Tide" might satisfy the fans of classic genre with its suave cinematography, brash dialogues and distinct plot surrounding Tesla. However, many of the characters are thrown in haphazardly, the subplots pile in while the detective moves forward and aside from a couple of catchphrases there's not much connection to be had.

At first look, the movie has all the signs of noir, it's only lacking the actual word plastered on the opening title. The visual is engaging, using a slight modern touch for the lingering last century style, heavily resembling Art Deco. The camera angles are finely tuned and nicely position for romantic effect, which is definitely a boon to establish any scene of this nature.

The characters trade banter with bravado, this might be entertaining for a brief period yet it's not a substitute for full character development. In many points the plot moves by introducing new people or twist, although the writing feels like many short stories sewn in together with only one lining.

The most glaring obstacle is it doesn't provide sense of urgency or threat, the plot progresses, or stumbles forward, but the drive for characters is timid. It is visually pleasing and filled with noir elements, but it's only partially riveting.

God, what this film could have been. Solid actors, good and sometimes great cinematography, extraordinary locations and a plot around Nikola Tesla's secret inventions. And it is even decently produced. But man, why why why did nobody realize the script was not at that same level at all??? Why did nobody stop the film's development until it was??? I don't know the director but the old rule of cinema says that it is almost impossible to make a good film out of a bad script. "The American Side" is a textbook example to that rule. There are plot holes everywhere, the characters are all overdeveloped on some narrow aspects that make them "authentic" in the moments - mostly the scenes that introduce them - but not enough to render them credible. The male protagonist's motivations shift continuously and although we learn about many of his habits, at the end we have no clue who he really is and what makes him tick. The worst is that plot- and story-logic are both awfully flawed in so many places that to call this film a "thriller" would be an insult to the genre. Again, I am not saying this to be mean, but because it made me sad to see so much potential go wasted so badly.

A film about Nicola Tesla's secret inventions would have deserved a better story, a better writer, and probably a better producer (not sure about the director, see above).

There is not much more to say about this. No, this is not an indie, this is unfortunately not a film. And that is REALLY a pity. Really.