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Post by sgev1977 on Oct 22, 2019 21:00:12 GMT
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Post by mllemass on Oct 22, 2019 23:16:05 GMT
This guy from Deadline loved it. He has a video review, too, but I could only get the first part to play for me.
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Post by sgev1977 on Oct 23, 2019 13:06:39 GMT
It seems to be more goodwill in the USA.
There was a THR article that suggested this is a third version. Different from the one showed in the UK (they said something about having to release another version in foreign countries because some contractual obligations). Who knows?
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Post by sgev1977 on Oct 24, 2019 11:19:09 GMT
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Post by mllemass on Oct 25, 2019 21:54:40 GMT
We won’t dwell on negative reviews (Rolling Stone hated it).
The Playlist review is quite nasty, but they still gave it a B-. The only positive thing in their review:
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Post by onebluestocking on Oct 30, 2019 2:46:17 GMT
I saw it today, and liked it very much! I really don't understand all the bad reviews. I wonder if critics are just being extra hard on HW's last film. The only thing I didn't care for was the handling of the botched execution. It seemed like they spent a lot of time on Edison worrying about possible problems that could arise beforehand. Then when it was actually horrific, that was oddly handled in juxtaposed, lively scenes of the World's Fair. I'm sure they wanted to contrast Westinghouse's victory with Edison's scandal, but it felt too flippant to me, especially when Edison quickly brushed it off afterward ("at least it happened to a murderer") quickly followed by Insull's lighhearted comment about how much fun Edison was to work for.
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Post by miriel68 on Oct 30, 2019 18:19:30 GMT
For me, the least convincing part was the "wife affair" I think they tried to show the more human side of Edison, but it was bordering on cheesy IMO. Also, E. married just two years after his wife's death, if I remember correctly, so the idea of the long grieving widower is not really convincing
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Post by roverpup on Oct 31, 2019 3:36:53 GMT
I finally had the chance to see the Director's Cut of The Current War and I must say I LOVE it!
It was lushly photographed (big thumbs up to Chung Chung-hoon!!) with a certain flair that hit just the right notes for me.
The costuming was beautiful as were the sets.
I really ejoyed the fast smooth pace of the film too because with movies about technical subjects it is important that it doesn't get bogged down by "geek speak" and this production gave the basic explanations but allowed the emotional centre of the film to shine through.
Kudos to Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and writer Michael Mitnick! I thought the script was well written, with enough modern touchstones to make it relevant to today's audiences. AGR's direction had artistic flourishes to it that were sometimes bold and at other times very subtle.
And the way the whole scene with Edison leaving his sick wife and then finding out that she had died in his absence and the ensuing scene of his mourning and falling asleep taping out "I love you" in Morse Code with his son... it brings tears to my eyes even now as I think about it! Just beautifully done!
The performances were top drawer all across the board. I thought there was a lot of on screen chemistry between Mary and Thomas (even though they obviously had major difficulties in their relationship, there wasn't ever any doubt in my mind that they loved each other). I liked how the emotional focus was on the struggle Edison had reconciling his need to be a dedicated inventor (to the point of obsession) with the innate love he felt for his family. It really gave the movie the emotional weight it needed to be something more than just a reguritation of history.
And BC's performance carried that weight with ease. He got to the core of the man - his anger, his pride, his love, his thirst for fame and his need to be remembered.
Shannon's performance of Westinghouse was remarkable too. He was a perfect foil to BC's Edison!
He was in many ways a polar emotional opposite of Edison. He was practical and controlled - where Edison was volatile and explosive. He had a companion who was a part of the decision making process (who influenced him a great deal) and took an active part in his dealings (sometimes in not such a good way). Where as Mary was loving but very much on the outside looking in at The Wizard of Menlo Park. Westinghouse was very cognisant of the importance of money and to him it seemed to be a great motivator. Edison rarely considered money a motivator - he was about recognition above all else. The parallels between the two men abound and brought a special dynamic to the film.
And lastly there was Tesla. The odd man out and the oddest duck in the inventor's pond. Brillant mind but not prepared for the cruelity of the capitalist system. And he got chewed up in it as a result. But I did like the foreshadowing with the hint of irony about his eventual remembrance.
What a thrill it was to see the sets of Menlo Park and the Edison homestead! Having just visited it in Dearborn this past summer, with the impression fresh in my mind, I was giddy seeing it so painstakingly reproduced in SUCH exquisite detail!! Every little detail was perfection!
I am so happy I finally got to see this gorgeous film and can't wait to buy the DVD of it whenever it is available!
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Post by roverpup on Oct 31, 2019 4:08:48 GMT
I forgot to add something about the musical score in the film. It was wonderful with just the right accents at the right time. I listened right up until the end of the credits and noticed a Spanish song sung as the final song in the credits (it was listed as Anita and recorded in the Edison studios). I thought that was a nice touch done no doubt by AGR.
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Post by queenzod on Oct 31, 2019 4:44:44 GMT
Thanks for such a glowing, detailed review, RP! It sounds wonderful, and as I usually love movies like this, I’m glad to hear it. Now I can’t wait to see it. We’re in the middle of a 4 day blizzard with 15 degree temps, so I’m not leaving the house for a few days. I hope it will still be showing when the snow melts.
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