The American Side

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.