BUFFALO, N.Y. — There are some stories so titanic in their historical significance, so fraught with natural drama, so filled with larger-than-life, yet real-life characters, that bringing such a story to the big screen must seem like a sure bet. However, The Current War: The Director’s Cut proves that bet to be not sure at all. In fact, despite its marvelous cast and its basis in one of the most significant technological struggles in our history, The Current War doesn’t seem to hold a lot of dramatic currency.
See, back in the beginning of the 1880’s there was electrical lighting, but it was limited to high-intensity arc lamps that required high voltage alternating current. This was fine for factories and for public lighting, but unsuitable for home lighting. As any schoolchild knows, Thomas Edison (Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game, Black Mass) was able to develop an incandescent light that would run on a much lower voltage and produced illumination more suitable for home lighting, but it wouldn’t work with high-voltage alternating current.
Edison’s plan for electrifying America involved low voltage direct current (DC) and powerhouses located every mile or so. George Westinghouse (Shannon, Revolutionary Road, The Shape of Water) was pushing a cheaper method, high-voltage alternating current (AC) but with step-down transformers that could make the method suitable for home use, and low-intensity lighting. And so, the battle between these two began, and it wasn’t nice or pretty.
The performances in The Current War are, in fact, the best things about this film. Seeing British actor Cumberbatch absolutely rock a Midwestern American accent is, in fact impressive. Shannon is always a pleasure to watch.
As far as the design of the film is concerned, there are some minor inaccuracies and chronological errors, but nothing that can’t be classified as small beer. It’s a nice-looking film. No, there is a big problem and a little problem with The Current War. The big problem is that the film just lacks any kind of real dramatic electricity. It has no real zip. Considering that this film has been on the shelf for years, and was once the property of The Weinstein Company and fell victim to the disgrace of that company’s principal, and that the original cut was so badly received at the Toronto Film Festival that Director Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) was called back in the recut it, it’s no surprise that the movie is terribly flawed. The little problem is the short shrift given Nikola Tesla's contribution.
Better suited to a venue like The History Channel rather than the local cineplex, The Current War is 'electrifyingly' disappointing and can only amp up to 3 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.
The Current War: Director’s Cut is directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Tom Holland, Katherine Waterston, Tuppence Middleton, and Matthew Macfadyen.
It's rated PG-13 for some disturbing/violent images, and thematic elements, and runs 107 minutes.
Disappointing might just be a cinematic theme this weekend. Our next film also set out with a promising premise and a great cast.
Black and Blue seems to want to tackle some weighty issues about racial identity, poverty and police corruption with a good cast. Those get sold short and the film ultimately is just a serviceable cop thriller. Black and Blue is reasonably entertaining and gritty but can only arrest 3 and a half out of 5 popcorn boxes.
It's directed by Deon Taylor (The Intruder) and stars Naomie Harris (Rampage, Moonlight) Tyrese Gibson (The Fate of the Furious, Legion).
It's rated R for violence and language and runs 108 minutes.
There is a horror film out this weekend that, if nothing else, has an exceedingly clever tag line: “Death: there’s an app for that.”
Countdown is about a smartphone app that counts down until you die…in the most gruesome fashion. What a handy thing to have on your phone. Critics aren’t loving it.
Countdown is Rated PG-13 for terror, violence, bloody images, suggestive material, language and thematic elements. I bet audiences will be counting down until it’s 90 minute run time is over.
I'm Larry Haneberg and I'm taking you 2 the Movies.