Review of Concussion (2015) by Ola G — 22 Apr 2017

In 2002, former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster is found dead in his pickup truck, after years of self-mutilation and homelessness. Before his death, a fellow football player, Justin Strzelczyk, comes to him, and confides that he is starting to lose his memory, that he is saying odd things to his children, and nearly threw his wife against the wall. A disoriented Webster brushes the worries off, and deliriously tells him that the most important thing "is to finish the game", which is what he said during his Hall of Fame speech. Dr Bennet Omalu (Will Smith), a forensic pathologist with the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania cororner's office, handles Webster's autopsy. He wonders how a man, otherwise healthy, and fairly young, could have degenerated so quickly, and makes it a point to figure out why he died of a heart attack at only fifty. Omalu closely examines microscope slides of Webster's brain and discovers that he had severe brain damage. He ultimately determines that Webster died as a result of the long-term effects of repeated blows to the head, a disorder he later calls chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). With the help of former Steelers team doctor Julian Bailes, fellow neurologist Steven T. DeKosky and county coroner Cyril Wecht, Omalu publishes a paper on his findings, which is initially dismissed by the NFL. Over the next few years, Omalu discovers that three other former NFL players, Strzelczyk (died 2004), Terry Long (died 2005), and Andre Waters (died 2006), had symptoms very similar to Webster's. He finally persuades newly appointed NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to allow him to present his findings before a committee on player safety. However, the NFL does not take him seriously and he is barred from the committee meeting, forcing Bailes, a former NFL employee, to give the presentation in his place. However, the meeting is a set up, where they claim the players' head trauma was due to past injuries, having nothing to do with football. Omalu's emotional quest has put him at dangerous odds with one of the most powerful institutions in the world...

While the topic of this film is important and needs to be up for a continuous discussion I think that Will Smith simply don´t have it in him to be able to portray a real life person like Dr Bennet Omalu so we believe in the character. He ends up talking in a funny accent and he never seems to be able to switch off the Will Smith persona like other actors can do with their personal self while engaging in a role. In this case Smith becomes more of a caricature then a real person. The film suffers as well from the classic Hollywoodisation with too much emotional layers that you can´t really embrace since it all feels so adjusted and fixed. There´s also the feeling that we have seen this before with a sport portrayed as the all american patriotism and the shady layers behind it. The mix of a real tale and a silver screen tale doesn´t really make the ends meet in "Conscussion" if you ask me. The fact remains that the NFL still makes excuses in admitting the impact CTE has on their players and washing their hands from guilt when having done settlements, paid millions of dollars to families and changed some things about the way the game is played. But, it all comes down to money. The person and player is only interesting as long as they can perform. When they are used up, no one cares. Important topic, less intriguing movie.