Review of Tesla (2020) by Aurora1 — 13 Nov 2021

This movie is absolutely brilliant! The life and personality of one of the most extraordinary men ever born is depicted on the big screen with visionary madness and yet historical accuracy by a Michael Almereyda in state of grace.

I just loved the theatre-like feeling, the painted landscapes instead of the natural ones, the breaking of the forth wall by the narrator voice (the lovely Eve Hewson), with her laptop and Google searches.

A convincing Rebecca Dayan impersonates the sensual, hypnotic beauty of Sarah Bernhardt (so gorgeous when she's recording her voice with a gramophone!), Ethan Hawke is absolutely perfect in the role of Tesla, a clumsy albatross among people (so well symbolised by the skating scene), exquisite mind when let free to imagine and create.

Almereyda surpassed himself after the already excellent Marjorie Prime (and we meet again Lois Smith, here in a small cameo as the Grand Dame).