The Current War

      Strictly for history buffs, this new drama is based on the competition between Thomas Edison and his Direct Current versus George Westinghouse and his Alternate Current for the future of electricity. The film was originally to be distributed by The Weinstein Company in 2017 but became a victim of Mr. Weinstein's legal issues and sat on the shelf until this year. It has finally been released after some re-shoots and edits as "the directors cut".

       Executive produced by Martin Scorsese and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, the film is a lavish production with beautiful costumes and incredible sets reflecting the late 1800's. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Edison and Michael Shannon as Westinghouse. The film also stars Nicholas Hoult as Nikola Tesla and Matthew MacFadyen as J.P. Morgan. Co-stars also include Katherine Waterston, Tuppence Middleton and Tom Holland.

       While Mr. Cumberbatch and Mr. Shannon try their best, a first rate cast unfortunately can't provide the spark the film needs to really light up the screen. The film is historically interesting but it relies on it's strong score to generate the power of the story.