Concussion (C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
In 'Concussion' (directed by Peter Landesman, Kill the Messenger), Will Smith delivers a stellar performance as real-life forensic neuropathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu, who identified the brain disorder called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in pro-football players, inadvertently alienating the National Football League. The story begins in 2002, where our gentle, soft-spoken Nigerian immigrant with many medical degrees, detects evidence of serious damage related to trauma in the brain of local football legend/Pittsburgh Steeler "Iron Mike" Webster (an scarily effective David Morse), who deteriorated from a normal man into a half-coherent drug addict who died at the age of 50. Soon after, Omalu finds - while performing autopsies - similar signs in the brains of other deceased players who had suffered from inexplicably polarizing mood swings, violent outbursts, & diminished comprehension. Tireless, unwavering Omalu believes that pro footballers are habitually 'concussed' 100s of times over the course of their careers -- but it's a judgment which only can be confirmed post-mortem {horrible!}.
When he & his colleague, Dr. Cyril Wecht (the typically humorous Albert Brooks), publish their research in a 2005 medical journal, NFL officials - whom have no interest in admitting that their sport is dangerous - discredit their discovery, although former team doctor Julian Bailes (Alec Baldwin) reluctantly agrees. Noble-minded Dr. Omalu IS warned, "You're going to war with a corporation that owns a day of the week!" After being intimidated, hunted, & harassed, Omalu & his sweet Kenya-born wife, Prema (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, so good last yr. in Belle & Beyond the Lights) are even threatened with deportation. Although NFL player Dave Duerson (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) testifies before Congress that there is no evidence of a connection btwn. repetitive head trauma/brain injury, after HE commits suicide in '11 (his brain reveals the same injury). Along with some drama involving Dr. Omalu's personal life (his wife struggles with her pregnancy), 'Concussion' unfolds & concludes with him desperately trying to convince his adversaries of the apparent dangers: "I am not anti-football, anti-NFL ... I stand by the truth".
While I did not love this movie, there ARE things to admire about it: the story itself, Dr. Omalu, Will Smith's understated portrayal, etc.. But there's something missing here, as well; something that prevents it from achieving greatness. I was disappointed in Concussion's unwillingness to follow/focus on the procedural aspects of this inherently fascinating story. Inferior, irrelevant plot elements like - 1) Dr. Omalu's marital woes with Prema, and 2) a rivalry with a fellow pathologist - muck up the narrative, deaden the pacing, & reduce this film to a bland man-vs.-the-system scuffle. Also, while the science behind the discovery of CTE is pretty interesting, over the course of about 2 hours, short of banning football (which seemingly won't ever happen), there still isn't a solution -- none from Dr. Omalu, nor anybody else. As a side note, the recently deceased Frank Gifford also had CTE (according to his autopsy).
Will Smith is very good in a role that requires him to undergo a bit of a transformation, adopt a believable Nigerian accent, & provide a controlled, likeable performance. Albert Brooks & Alec Baldwin are solid as the doctors who stand along Dr. Omalu against the NFL. Although David Morse doesn't have much screen time, he is VERY effective as a man who is tortured by the effects of CTE. The only performance that rang false was Luke Wilson's Roger Goodell; it just fell flat. And as for Gugu Mbatha-Raw ... she's good. But another fault of the movie is that it gives this gifted actress very little to do. Any part of this film that included her & Will Smith together felt like it came straight from some glossy made-for-TV melodrama … no good. This script material is probably in there to enhance Omalu's 'flawed human' side (and to make him more interesting), but for me, it just dragged the quality of the film down.
'Concussion' should do well with audiences. It is easy to follow. My sister (who studies in the medical field) really enjoyed the scientific aspects of it. It's a film that highlights one of America's most beloved past times, football. And hey, it stars Will Smith. What more can you ask for? For me, there was quite a bit more to ask for. Due to the aforementioned issues I raised above, 'Concussion' lacked urgency. It doesn't crackle like some of the best whistleblower dramas out there. It doesn't grip. It's dramatically thin. And it's solemn to a fault. Good intentions do not always make for 'great' movies. Sure, the filmmakers were bold enough to show us the NFL's tactics surrounding CTE {quite the controversy, even for Will Smith - a huge football fan}. But even if you take out the blah family melodramatics from the script, there's too much of a gray/blandness about the proceedings. The movie is workmanlike, but not exceptional in any way. See 'Concussion' for the intriguing David (persevering Omalu) vs. Goliath (NFL) story. But the filmmaking ONSCREEN doesn't match-up to the outrageousness of the topical subject matter.
When he & his colleague, Dr. Cyril Wecht (the typically humorous Albert Brooks), publish their research in a 2005 medical journal, NFL officials - whom have no interest in admitting that their sport is dangerous - discredit their discovery, although former team doctor Julian Bailes (Alec Baldwin) reluctantly agrees. Noble-minded Dr. Omalu IS warned, "You're going to war with a corporation that owns a day of the week!" After being intimidated, hunted, & harassed, Omalu & his sweet Kenya-born wife, Prema (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, so good last yr. in Belle & Beyond the Lights) are even threatened with deportation. Although NFL player Dave Duerson (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) testifies before Congress that there is no evidence of a connection btwn. repetitive head trauma/brain injury, after HE commits suicide in '11 (his brain reveals the same injury). Along with some drama involving Dr. Omalu's personal life (his wife struggles with her pregnancy), 'Concussion' unfolds & concludes with him desperately trying to convince his adversaries of the apparent dangers: "I am not anti-football, anti-NFL ... I stand by the truth".
While I did not love this movie, there ARE things to admire about it: the story itself, Dr. Omalu, Will Smith's understated portrayal, etc.. But there's something missing here, as well; something that prevents it from achieving greatness. I was disappointed in Concussion's unwillingness to follow/focus on the procedural aspects of this inherently fascinating story. Inferior, irrelevant plot elements like - 1) Dr. Omalu's marital woes with Prema, and 2) a rivalry with a fellow pathologist - muck up the narrative, deaden the pacing, & reduce this film to a bland man-vs.-the-system scuffle. Also, while the science behind the discovery of CTE is pretty interesting, over the course of about 2 hours, short of banning football (which seemingly won't ever happen), there still isn't a solution -- none from Dr. Omalu, nor anybody else. As a side note, the recently deceased Frank Gifford also had CTE (according to his autopsy).
Will Smith is very good in a role that requires him to undergo a bit of a transformation, adopt a believable Nigerian accent, & provide a controlled, likeable performance. Albert Brooks & Alec Baldwin are solid as the doctors who stand along Dr. Omalu against the NFL. Although David Morse doesn't have much screen time, he is VERY effective as a man who is tortured by the effects of CTE. The only performance that rang false was Luke Wilson's Roger Goodell; it just fell flat. And as for Gugu Mbatha-Raw ... she's good. But another fault of the movie is that it gives this gifted actress very little to do. Any part of this film that included her & Will Smith together felt like it came straight from some glossy made-for-TV melodrama … no good. This script material is probably in there to enhance Omalu's 'flawed human' side (and to make him more interesting), but for me, it just dragged the quality of the film down.
'Concussion' should do well with audiences. It is easy to follow. My sister (who studies in the medical field) really enjoyed the scientific aspects of it. It's a film that highlights one of America's most beloved past times, football. And hey, it stars Will Smith. What more can you ask for? For me, there was quite a bit more to ask for. Due to the aforementioned issues I raised above, 'Concussion' lacked urgency. It doesn't crackle like some of the best whistleblower dramas out there. It doesn't grip. It's dramatically thin. And it's solemn to a fault. Good intentions do not always make for 'great' movies. Sure, the filmmakers were bold enough to show us the NFL's tactics surrounding CTE {quite the controversy, even for Will Smith - a huge football fan}. But even if you take out the blah family melodramatics from the script, there's too much of a gray/blandness about the proceedings. The movie is workmanlike, but not exceptional in any way. See 'Concussion' for the intriguing David (persevering Omalu) vs. Goliath (NFL) story. But the filmmaking ONSCREEN doesn't match-up to the outrageousness of the topical subject matter.