Film review: “The American Side”

Whether it’s Vienna in “The Third Man” or the Mexican border
in “Touch of Evil,” some of the best noir films are inextricably linked to
their settings. Filmed and set in Buffalo, “The American Side” can be added to
that list for utilizing its Western New York locations in expert fashion.

Sure, the
ability to spot familiar sights can add to the fun, but grounding the plot in a
specific sense of place lends the tale its flavor. Here, Buffalo isn’t just a
stand-in for some anonymous city, but is allowed to have a distinct personality
all its own, while director Jenna Ricker and co-writer and star Greg Stuhr toss in the sort of detail that only a native could
provide. If “The American Side” doesn’t reach the level of those all-time
classics (but really, that’s not a fair comparison), it should leave fans of
the genre more than satisfied.

In keeping
with established genre conventions, “The American Side” revolves around a
classic anti-hero type, a private eye named Charlie Paczynski
(Stuhr). A gumshoe with a moral compass all his own,
Charlie’s not above blackmailing his clients out of some extra dough by
photographing them in compromising positions with his stripper friend (Kelsey Siepser). He’s in the middle of one such photo session — beneath
the lurid neon lights of a carnival — when a gunshot rings out and both his
friend and his mark disappear.

Charlie
eventually tracks the man, an engineer named Tom Soberin
(Harris Yulin), to Niagara Falls, where Tom delivers
a cryptic warning before promptly taking a dive into the drink. Digging further
only embroils the hapless PI in a conspiracy that involves the lost designs of
inventor Nikola Tesla — and one schematic in particular may hold the key to
building an all-powerful, world-altering doohickey.

Tesla lore
is a subject so ripe for exploration that I wish Stuhr
and Ricker had worked more into their story, but as you might expect, the Tesla
aspect of the story is merely a MacGuffin. Instead, the plot is mostly an
excuse to put Charlie up against a cast of colorful characters: femme fatales,
government agents, and shady businessmen, all of whom may or may not want him
dead. Naturally there’s a couple of beautiful and mysterious women (Alicja Bachleda and Camilla
Belle), a stern DARPA agent (Janeane Garofalo), a pair of feuding energy tycoons (Matthew
Broderick and Rochester native Robert Forster), and a supporting cast rounded
out by ringers like character actors Robert Vaughn and Joe Grifasi.

Stuhr and Ricker have a clear appreciation for the genre
they’re working in. The film is loaded with references and homages, from “North
By Northwest” and “Kiss Me Deadly” to the musical
score by David Shire, known for providing the driving force behind 1970’s
conspiracy thrillers “The Conversation” and “All the President’s Men.” At one
point, a character compares Charlie to Philip Marlowe, “I always preferred Mike
Hammer,” he responds.

The
performances can occasionally feel a touch uneven — not everyone is convincing
with the stylized, hard-boiled dialogue that the script calls for — and the
plot only barely holds together. But then, overly-complicated,
near-impenetrable plots have always been a noir staple.

But Ricker
and cinematographer Frank Barrera make great use of Buffalo’s industrial
architecture, including the gorgeous Colonel Ward Pumping Station, and a
late-film foot chase that takes place alongside Niagara Falls is thrilling.

Stuhr and Ricker are also careful to not tie the film to
any specific time period; no cell phones or modern technology make an
appearance, giving the film a timeless feel. Filled with enough twists and
turns to keep audiences guessing, “The American Side” is a worthy throwback to
the retro thrillers that inspired it.

A Q&A
with filmmakers Jenna Ricker and Greg Stuhr will
follow Thursday’s screening.

This article appears in May 25-31, 2016.