Review of Concussion (2015) by Jeffrey M — 03 Apr 2016

Earnestly told, indignant, and passionate--Concussion takes on America's biggest sport to a largely effective degree. Based on a true story, the film tells the story of a pathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu, an incredibly pious and straight-laced immigrant who, through his work, uncovers what would soon be termed CTE. In short, his resiliency and tenacity led him to the shocking reality that repetitive concussions can have profound long-term damage translating to death. Obviously not well received, the film follows his struggles for attention and the attacks he inevitably received.

It's hard to say this is a fair film. I don't know quite enough to say definitively, but certainly the film is biased, and has a dramatic flair that you would expect. I do believe it's very real, but perhaps the film's assertions that "football kills" are a bit over-the-top at times. Still, as a movie--it's an effective one, with a brilliant performance by will Smith. The entire cast is strong, and the film has a way of unfolding that makes it a very enthralling story, even though the actual events took much longer to unfold. In short, the director did an excellent job of condensing a subject in to a confined story, and an effective one.

4/5 Stars.