Review of Concussion (2015) by Douglas M — 29 Mar 2016

'Concussion' is a film that spans several genres including sports movie, historical docudrama most of all it depicts crusade of an individual against the harmful actions of an iconic institution. Adding to the importance of the subject matter imbuing it with controversial overtones is the fact that the harmful institution of the most beloved in the country, the NFL, the National Football League. American football is far more brutal the greater potential for serious injury than the sport that most countries play under that name. Stars of the game are worshiped as heroes and for many the glory days of their life is been a plate on the gridiron. This is a rude many lives breaking bones and tearing joint apart. But it was not until the early part of the 21st-century that somebody investigated the inordinate amount of brain injuries that plagued players of this game. This film covers the doctor's investigation of these injuries establishing a scientific and medical basis for them in his crusade to forestall league officials to do something about it. Cinematic perspective this film is quite noteworthy demonstrating how Will Smith has been able to mature as an actor. The brash, heroic swagger many of his summer blockbuster hits has been replaced with a determined and confident bearing of a well-educated man who has discovered a deadly truth affecting a sport that is the obsession of millions of Americans. Unlike so many other action heroes refused to put down their guns and stop crawling through air shafts Mr. Smith is a shorter guarantee continued accolades for his acting abilities talent for entertaining. Much to his credit he has been doing this for a number of films now with 'Concussion' only the most recent example. While it is unfortunate that the film for short of reaching his potential nothing in the performance of Mr. Smith contributes to this shortcoming.

The film opens the tragedy. 2002 former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster (David Morse) found that behind his truck his home state of Pennsylvania. He spent his professional career playing center for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His body is taken to a more in Allegheny County where the autopsies handled by forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu (Will Smith). The immediate cause of death for severe brain injury but Dr. Omalu's further investigation revealed etiology of the condition was result repeated severe blows to the head those routine part of the game played. He refers to the condition as space chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) seeks the assistance of physicians document the condition published a paper on it. Among the doctors he enlisted was the former team physician for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Julian Bailes (Alec Baldwin), neurologist Dr. Steven DeKosky (Eddie Marsan) and coroner Cyril Wecht (Albert Brooks). After substantiating his hypothesis he publishes a paper in the peer-reviewed journal 'Neurosurgery' in hopes that it will effect change in the sport. Unfortunately it is summarily dismissed by the NFL.

As with almost any movie that boldly displays the tagline "based on true events", there is a considerable amount of dramatic license taken in the story. A significant amount of this can be found in how Dr. Omalu is shown to become increasingly paranoid, afraid that officials of the football league had to go to extraordinary and illegal means to quiet his findings. This is quite unfortunate as the story has substantial merit on its own in the forced scenes employing such overused tactics as the ominous vehicle outside his window accompanied by ominous musical score. The narratives as presented in the film go so far as to a miscarriage by Omalu's wife to the stress of the persecution. Actually, officials of the league did send Dr. Omalu a letter demanding that he publish a retraction to his paper. Admittedly this would not have the same emotional impact is formalized intimidation. I'm of the opinion that written screenwriter/director Peter Landesman was crafting the script he felt it needed a little extra drama interspersed between all the medical expositions. While it might have been best to find some of alternate means of generating and sustaining the suspense at least a modicum of the real reaction of the real reaction of the league officials to the determined doctor was included in the film. Dr. Omalu unrelentingly continued collecting data and investigating of the football players with similar symptoms. Along with his colleague Dr. Bailes, who has been researching concussive injuries, are able to associate the parameters of the syndrome to several other prominent players. Have a glimmer of hope in a new commissioner is appointed to the league, Roger Goodell (Luke Wilson) appears to be more conducive to listen to their findings. Unfortunately this was not to be the case since although a committee hearing was called Omalu is not permitted to attend. Ultimately it would take many years for the NFL to even admit to the validity of the findings in the interim the deaths directly attributed to brain injuries as well as associated suicides continue to accumulate.

Despite the strong performance of Mr. Smith portraying the protagonist the story forced his performance into infusing his character with a naïve attitude uncharacteristic of what I have read about this crusading physician. He had hoped that the league officials replace the safety of their players paramount over fiscal concerns of the corporation and although greed reigns supreme is unrealistic to consider that Omalu was that unaware of the extent any large corporation would go to protect their stream of revenue. Some of this may have to do with the source material that Mr. Landesman had to work with. Rather than a fully fleshed out novel he was working on adapting the story from an article in GQ magazine, 'Game Brain'. This left far too much of the story to the screenwriter's conjecture that would be possible with the far more detailed original account.

As a filmmaker Peter Landesman does not have a lot on his resume as of yet. To his credit he is concentrating on building up his acumen of a certain niche of movies. He appears to be establishing himself as primarily concerned with true stories and adapting them for the screen. This is demonstrated by his two previous films, 'Kill the Messenger 'concerned with the CIA's use of cocaine trafficking and 'Parkland' which focused on the Parkland Hospital in Dallas Texas the day after Pres. Kennedy was assassinated. I made a point to pull out of my collection both of these films we watch them after I was done my consideration of 'Concussion 'and there was a notable improvement in his technique and directorial style. He is becoming more adept at the subtleties of framing a shot in the importance of imagery and music and telling the story. I do greatly look forward to his next film but I'm certain that it will continue on a tighter expression of his talents.