[Movie Review] Concussion (2015)

Posted on December 25, 2015 by thegrandshuckett in Movie Reviews // 0 Comments

Director: Peter Landesman

Writers: Peter Landesman, Jeanne Marie Laskas

Runtime: 2h 3min

Main Cast:

Will Smith as Dr. Bennet Omalu
Alec Baldwin as Dr. Julian Bailes
Albert Brooks as Dr. Cyril Wecht
Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Prema Mutiso

Review: by Chris

A few years ago I watched a Real Sports talking about the then-recent deaths of former NFL players. According to the report, players were suffering from brain issues including depression, hearing voices, and violence against their families. As a football fan, it was troubling to hear that said brain issues were caused by years of the game. So when I heard Will Smith was starring in a fictional account of the science behind those injuries I was intrigued. It seemed like an interesting topic to film and I am a fan of Will Smith. As the film got closer to release rumors about the NFL's interesting relationship with the film made me a bit skeptical. What was originally expected to be a scathing assault on the NFL and one of its many public mistakes, wasn't quite as an assault on the organization as I thought, but still a well-made movie.

Dr. Bennet Omalu is a brilliant Nigerian Doctor working as a coroner in Pittsburg. When former NFL hall-of-famer Mike Webster turns up on his table, Dr. Omalu knows something is up due to his many self-inflicted wounds. What is uncovered from the autopsy proves there was something very wrong with the legendary player. What the doctor discovers will change his life and possibly put him in the sights of the most powerful sports organization in America. His findings of a major brain disease caused by years of playing in the league put him at odds with the NFL as he tries to persuade them to do something about it.

What I Liked:

The acting and cast. Led by an amazing and focused Will Smith the overall cast all pulls off some great stuff. Smith is almost universally fantastic with his powerful performance. His Dr. Omalu is a focused genius who finds a cause with what he discovered. He’s passionate and emotional and all of it is expressed with power by Smith. His triumphs, fears, defeats all shown in great detail, he shows great restraint and great power in how he speaks and the intense gaze he gives other characters. Albert Brooks continues to knock every supporting role he gets these days and is a charismatic joy on screen. Alec Baldwin is a bit more reserved as a former NFL team doctor, but he plays off of the rest of the cast well. Relatively new actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw continues to shine as Dr. Omalu’s love interest and support system. Though wasted in terms of actual influence of the plot, she serves a great balance.

The real life imagery, implications. Being a film specifically about the NFL real players and their deaths are used to give urgency/importance to the movie. The deaths and stories surrounding them were only 5-6 years ago and many of the were fresh enough that I remembered the news stories. These were real men who lost their lives in very serious, heartbreaking ways and the film was better for it. Having real people I was able to identify made the implications hit harder and gave the film a perspective missing from other “based on a true story” movie. The authenticity of the NFL brand served well in terms of realism and consequence. Though a fictional account, it was still a riveting one that had me eager to research when the film was over.

Interesting insight. The science used by Dr. Omalu was fascinating to me. Each time they would break down what football does to the human brain I was on the edge of my seat.

What I Didn’t Like:

Not as “punchy” as I expected. Being that I was familiar with the story this narrative is based I kinda expected the movie to go hard-hitting in terms of its criticisms of the NFL and how it handled/mishandled the situation. But everything was kinda by the numbers in terms of these kinda dramas. Though having a scene or 2 of some valid criticisms of the NFL, everyone plays it safe, with the NFL looking less like “villains” and more like a misunderstood business. I know I should not have expected documentary style criticisms, but I did want a harsher tone.

It’s minor, but Will Smith sometimes lost his accent in some scenes. It’s consistent for most of the film, but during some powerful moments it goes away and it’s jarring. Not a huge thing, but it happened enough to notice.

Summary

A very good and poignant, though sometimes light, piece on a very interesting and serious problem, Concussion is a very well-made, well-intentioned film that doesn’t go nearly as far as I wanted it to. It doesn’t take away from the fact that it was engaging, with fantastic acting all around. It’s another Will Smith tour de force and it shows he has only become a stronger actor as he gets older. A must see for Will Smith fans and fans of the NFL, but a good rental for those wanting a hard hitting piece.

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