The American Side

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.

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.

The big thing was the writing was poor and it ruined to movie. If felt like it was taken from a book and a whole lot of stuff was let out or was pushed through. Lead actor was limited but you felt like there was a good movie there that wanted to get out. % stars might be too high but gave it 5 anyway.

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.

"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.