ReelBob: ‘The Current War’ ★★½
By Bob Bloom
For a movie about electricity, “The Current War” fails to spark.
This historical drama, set in the late 19th century, chronicles the battle between inventor Thomas A. Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) and industrialist George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) over who will begin supplying voltage to light up America.
The competition is between Edison’s DC (direct current — electricity flowing in a single direction) and Westinghouse’s AC (alternate current — electricity that periodically reverses direction). Both men believe their system is superior and basically begin various publicity campaigns and muckraking stunts to discredit the other’s product.
The men are contrasting figures: Edison sees himself as a scientist wanting to better the human condition, while Westinghouse views everything from a business perspective and if its application can be practical.
The movie’s major drawback is that despite all the intrigue, it lacks drama. It is bloodless and cold.
The performances by Cumberbatch and Shannon drive the movie; they instill vigor and some humanity, elevating their characters beyond the one-dimensional personas dictated by the script.
Yet, the movie needed to burrow deeper into these two historical giants to help us understand what drove them.
“The Current War” works hard to provide some intrigue and suspense, examining the shady tactics used by hirelings of Edison and Westinghouse to spy and to taint one another’s projects.
The script by Michael Mitnick and direction by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon fail to breathe any fire into the proceedings; it feels clinical and, at times, plays like one of those History docudrama miniseries.
If I sound harsh, it’s because with such a fine cast, I expected more.
Nicholas Hoult as inventor-futurist Nikola Tesla and Tom Holland as Edison’s secretary, Samuel Insull, bring very little to the proceedings.
The movie looks pretty. The production design captures the heaviness of the era, but that is not enough to sustain this drama.
Overall, the movie lacks the voltage necessary to relate this epic tale in the manner it deserves.
“The Current War” is available via digital download at Movies Anywhere and other online sites. It is interesting but does not electrify.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
THE CURRENT WAR
2½ stars out of 4
(PG-13), violent content, thematic elements