Review of Concussion (2015) by Rayparadise — 28 Dec 2015

Buoyed by the excellent performance of Will Smith and the strength of his supporting cast (Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks, & Gugu Mbatha-Raw), "Concussion" more or less achieves it purpose of demonstrating Dr. Bennet Omalu's revolutionary discovery of CTE and his battle with the National Football League to have his findings recognized.

However, it is difficult to determine whether or not this film is successful because of its story alone, or the execution of the directing and the script. Will Smith, as he often does, creates an amiable and intelligent character in Dr. Omalu whom we feel compelled to cheer for and feel compassion for. But the character isn't fully developed and we don't ever feel like we truly know the Nigerian immigrant in his totality. The script flips between the personal life of Omalu where he finds love and suffers the tragedy of a miscarriage, and his professional life where he battles the NFL 'who owns a day of the week' and apparently in connection to the NFL, the federal government. Neither side of the story is taken up as the vantage point and the film doesn't really have an identity apart from the bare bones of the story and the strong acting. The film would have been better served to have taken up the struggle against the institution, and the process of that struggle such as "Spotlight", or should have assumed the personal lens of Dr. Omalu. Both cases have their arguments.

For example, the idea of the 'American Dream' is invoked quite often in the film and in one scene in particular Will Smith discusses the US's comparison to Heaven with his immigrant wife. If the film would have pitted the ideals of the American Dream --an intelligent immigrant who makes a tangible impact to the scientific community and the nation at large -- against America's beloved sport, football, the story would be more compelling and might even invoke a better performance from Mr. Smith. The American values of science, truth, and little-guy success juxtaposed against the American values of hard-work, grit, and the warrior mentality would have been an interesting take on the story.

On the other side of the coin, the "Spotlight" argument, if the film would've been for the better if had focused on the institution of the NFL and its despicable attempts to reduce the advancements of science in the name of profit. The film does this in suped-up dramatic scenes such as one where a former player, down and out on his luck, pleads with another former player in a leadership role within the NFL. The leader basically ignores his former comrade who then commits suicide. If the film could have focused on the battle of the small guy against the institution and investigated more of the NFL's side it would have focused the film and made it better.

In conclusion, the film is definitely worth seeing. Especially if you are a fan of science or football. It serves as inspiration to the former and a cautionary tale to the latter. It's an important, contemporary period piece because it does foreshadow the end for the NFL as we know it.