Retired NFL players are experiencing strange symptoms with threatening consequences, in “Concussion”. Director Peter Landesman brings us insight into one of professional Football’s most swept under the rug scandals. Will Smith stars as Dr. Bennett Omalu, an African born pathologist who notices strange behavior from retired football players who are now left with next to nothing after giving their bodies to the sport they love. Along the way, he meets Prema (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), also an African native who Bennett houses after she is left without much to fall back on in her journey to America. This dramatic thriller continues though an incredible true David vs. Goliath story of one man who took on one of the biggest corporations in America, after making the brilliant forensic first discovery of CTE, a football-related brain trauma. With the help of a former team trainer (Alec Baldwin), the two study body after body in a fight for the truth to be known. Omalu’s emotional quest puts him at dangerous odds with one of the most powerful institutions in the world. Often leaving his career and his family in dangerous odds.
“Concussion” isn’t a terrible film at all. I enjoyed it for its well acted performances, as well as it’s statistical dialogue sure to educate anyone who is or isn’t a fan of the game. There’s also a lot of artistic editing along the way that showcases the media’s attempt at making this tragic re-occurance a joke. Where my problem lies with this film is that it turns a simple story into an all out governmental conspiracy flick. I’m sure the influence of the NFL is one of prestigious power, but I find it hard to believe that these people are chasing down families in cars or seeking a formal audit of someone who even remotely challenges their system. This all happens before Omalu remotely has anything concrete, so the movie gets silly quite quickly. On top of this, there really isn’t enough in the film creatively to catch it in theaters. If you have seen the trailer, you have not only seen the best parts of the film, but you have seen the majority of the film’s three-act structure. It left me very disappointed considering I was hoping that this film would explore more of the argument from the film’s antagonists that is essentially non-existent. Another problem I had was the rushed pacing of the relationship between Prema and Bennett. Once you’ve seen five minutes of this film, I don’t think I am spoiling anything for you the reader, but (MINOR SPOILERS) they are to be married literally less than 24 hours after their first date. To do one better, they are having a child within that first week that they meet. What a mess.
As for the performances, they are satisfying enough. Will Smith continues to be one of the most universally likeable actors in the game. His role as Dr Omalu slips him with an African accent that Smith never stutters on once. He stays pretty faithful to his character, while giving the movie the perfect protagonist to go against the big bad corporation. Smith often gets his point across without a yelling or threatening nature, with the exception of one scene that thrusts him into Oscar consideration. It’s the kind of long winded speech that characters in these films often do when they have to drive home their point, and Smith hits a homerun in pure emotional depth. Also adding to this well balanced cast is a nice supporting performance by longtime actor and director Albert Brooks. For me, Brooks was the very best part of “Concussion”, and a lot of that banks on a sarcastic truth to his line reads that drives home the very step by step actions of this villain in the shadows. Brooks works well with Smith’s character, and it makes for the most entertaining of scenes when they work off of each other, creating a subtle narrative for the story’s direction. Alec Baldwin is solid as well, but he can play a character like this in his sleep at this point. If there is one thing great from his role, its that we get to see him in a straight forward role again.
I wanted to talk a little bit about the film’s shooting location of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as well as the smooth cinematography by Salvatore Totino. While already offering a beautiful landscape of the menacing mountainside in this year’s “Everest”, Totino further cements his legacy in “Concussion” by his personal effects with shadows and a darker frame around the edges. It’s very symbolic of the film’s plot, considering much of the details in the story is in the dark to the very fans and families of these players who they consider heroes. Pittsburgh is definitely the perfect city for such a film because fans in the northeast are always the most passionate when it comes to football. The film does a solid job of showcasing the very fans who find it hard to believe that these players are anything other than Superman, so Landesman does great at communicating that obsessive nature. The real heartbreak comes from these players (Most notably one played by David Morse) who are shadows of their former selves. Even if you are the most passionate of football fans, it will be hard to argue against anything that this film preaches.
“Concussion” offers little surprise in a story that stays pretty grounded. However, its shining performance from the imposing lead, as well as a visual look and design to the film that is very eye-appealing, gives this film a decent appeal to casual and die-hard fans alike. It’s a little too safe to be a touchdown, but its embrace of spirituality as well as science, makes this film a field goal that could easily clear with another ten yards to spare.
6/10