Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Jemima It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

sempervirentz Some reviewers complain that it's hard to follow the plot – but isn't this typical for film noir? Besides, if you watch the movie again (or only the scenes that made no sense to you), you will notice that there is no puzzle. The whole thing about barrel-crossing the Niagara over the American side is just a subplot that is not important for the main plot. The main plot goes like that: we have several parties that want to obtain both parts of Tesla's note. Some might want to destroy them, some are seeking for the knowledge of how they fit together and what they mean. In the end we see that Charlie has both parts in his lighter: one on the front, the other on the back. Of course Nikki Meeker has put it in there. Remember? She "stole" the lighter from him before. Now the light of the pinball machine and ta-da: Tesla's potentially "world-changing" note in it's entirety. Then the phone call for Charlie. But that's part of The American Side II ... which, of course, will never be realised. I kind of liked the movie, but it was not enough serious Tesla in it. I give it a 7.

clovis-5 This thriller is set in Buffalo, and is a kind of homage to that city, formerly one of the Gilded Age urban centers of the Northeast. This upstate NY post-industrial setting is a nice change of pace, and provides a post-industrial backdrop to the travails of a private eye as he navigates the twists and turns of intrigue, murder and espionage surrounding the works of Nikola Tesla. In this regard, the film is as much about Buffalo as it is about Tesla, whose person and work are invoked reverentially by various characters in the course of the film. The script provides great dialogue, lots of snappy exchanges. Some of the twists and turns seemed hard to follow, but this did not prevent me from enjoying this fun and offbeat cinematic ride.

michele_hocking 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.

RebeccaHarris The American Side is terrific. In classic noir fashion, a wisecracking and, shall we say, ethically flexible private dick (an utterly charming Greg Stuhr) finds himself fighting the forces of corporate evil in the person of a queasily convincing Mathew Broderick. The movie is fast and brash, lovely to look at, and has a scene involving a human going over Niagara Falls that simply can't be missed. Like all good detective stories, there is a mystery to be solved, and this one involves a secret invention of the great polymath Nikola Tesla. There are codes to be broken, family intrigues to be sussed out, and of course the small matter of a potentially unstoppable army that has to be stopped. It's Tesla, man, the inventor of some truly dope stuff. If you don't know who Tesla was, I suggest you go find out.