Tesla

Nikola Tesla (Ethan Hawke) works for Thomas Edison (Kyle MacLachlan). He quits accusing Edison of owing him $50k. J.P. Morgan's daughter Anne Morgan (Eve Hewson) is the movie's narrator who is taken with him and his work. He does a business deal with George Westinghouse (Jim Gaffigan) and foolishly rips up their contract for Westinghouse's sake. He falls for actress Sarah Bernhardt (Rebecca Dayan) who is equally fascinated with him.

This is an arthouse bio of legendary inventor Nikola Tesla. Hawke is trying to do quiet intensity. He definitely has the quiet and he gets the intensity at times when he's allowed. This is most notable for its style of fake situations, narration from a side character, and an oddly strip down tone. The combination is interesting but somehow lifeless. Every aspect of this places distance between Tesla and the audience. Then there is the karaoke ending. It's another artistic choice which places a distance between this Tesla from reality and from the audience. It's fascinating but distancing.