"Concussion" began as a project by Ridley Scott, who would direct from a script by Peter Landesman, adapted from an article by Jeanne Marie Laskas. In the plot, based on real events, the Nigerian coroner Dr. Bennett Omalu (Smith) faces the NFL, the national American football league in the United States, when he discovers serious brain damage resulting from the practice of sport in athletes. Due to scheduling problems, Scott stayed on as producer, "leaving" for the red planet to direct "The Martian (2015)", leaving the direction to Landesman, who debuted as a filmmaker in JFK: The Untold Story (2013). In his second job behind the camera, the novice director proves to be a good choice. He doesn't lower the crest for the NFL, making a hard-hitting film, even if it gets lost in the exaggerated boastfulness.
The starting point for the investigation is the death of former athlete and Pittsburgh Steelers idol "Iron" Mike Webster (David Morse), who showed signs of dementia, depression and seizures. The doctor in question, Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith), is a Nigerian living in the United States, with a long list of graduations. In doing his research he receives the support of Dr. Cyril Wecht (Albert Brooks), his superior at the hospital where he works, of Dr. Julian Bailes (Alec Baldwin), former team doctor of the Pittsburgh Steelers and his partner Prema Mutiso (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). However, he suffers sanctions and threats from fans of the sport, as well as leaders and lawyers of the NFL, National Football League.
Something that the script apparently makes clear to the viewer is the passion of Americans for football. Several dialogues and images show the people's excitement and love for the game, such as young people who start playing it from childhood at home or at school, and statistical data on the impact on the population and on the government itself. This notion of the NFL's power helps contextualize us in the story and understand the kind of confrontation the main character has; and how difficult he becomes more and more as his studies reach the media and bother the big bosses of the sport. During the course of the film, we also get to know the doctor better as a person, a fundamental piece for us to connect with his fight. He is nothing more than an extremely studious and dedicated man to work, who does not let money and interests influence his attitudes. He discovers the connection between football and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a disease that caused dozens of former players to die in the future, and he does everything to make it visible and result in a solution on the part of the NFL. Omalu never wants to destroy the sport, he wants to find a way to prevent others from dying.
The best part of the production is the montage, the result of a mixture of real scenes, reports and interviews, and fictional scenes. At one point, when it came time to show the death of one of the players who suffered from ETC (a disease caused by concussions), a quick transition between archival footage of a police car and scenes from the film itself made everything more believable. It's the time when the production really suggests the problem to be discussed, but which often gets lost in Omalu's personal dilemmas. The photograph uses a cold palette, referring both to Omalu's work and to the obscurity of the subject. Another great highlight is the excellent make-up work, which transforms the well-known faces of the cast into those real characters. In the end, "Concussion" sounds like an incomplete pass. Despite conveying the message about the health problems that American football can cause, Lendesman lacks brilliance, who opts for several subplots instead of investing in a point of real importance - a point that is not Omalu's novel, for example, one of the film's many subplots. And finally, Will Smith's good performance is not enough to overcome the uneven script and direction without pulses evident in the feature.
The facts narrated in the film had already shaken the country when they came to light, brooding over the flaws and wounds of a national passion is always something very powerful and putting the man behind this whole story in the spotlight is at least necessary. Therefore, Concussion was born with the best intentions in the world, almost an edifying project to show a man who battles against everything and everyone, in addition to his own adversities (a black immigrant in a corporate war in the USA). And in fact, as a critique and social denouncement, it is a film that works very well, a feature that fulfills its function of informing and raising public awareness. It is true that precisely for this reason Concussion abuses didacticism, both in the form of dialogues and in the form of cinema, a film that does not provoke or even move the spectator through its direction. In this way, the film is conducted in a concise manner, in that old craftsmanship, in which the filmmaker's signature is left aside in order to convey in the most sober and simple way possible the facts and accusations from Dr. Omalu's point of view.
The big problem with "Concussion" is when the film leaves this informative core and tries to give a human perspective to its protagonist, revealing a problematic character construction. Bennet Omalu is almost portrayed as sent by God, an enlightened being, in the feature film by Peter Landesman (also scripted by him) his protagonist is built as if he were a perfect man, without any problems and flaws, he cannot be less human than that. It is also in this narrative sphere that the film demonstrates its greatest weaknesses, mainly because it has a poorly structured script, which is evident in the very poorly developed relationship between the protagonist and his future wife, and that in a few seconds two strangers become husband and wife. Woman without causing the viewer any empathy, as if the film was in a hurry to advance this core, thus losing any humanity that the production could have.
Even though it has a quality cast, Peter Lendesman's film fails to lead the viewer on the growing trajectory that the script suggests. From the discovery of the diseases caused to the final revelation, passing through the deaths and negotiations with the NFL, the feature is always in the middle of the road when trying to create some involvement. The romance of the main couple has no appeal, the friendship between the protagonist and Julian Bailes (Alec Baldwin) and even the enmity between Omalu and the big bosses of American football are not convincing. Each of these arcs is presented, but they develop in a dragging way and none of them reach an interesting climax.
It is undeniable that "Concussion" is made for Will Smith to shine. The main feeling is that all the director wants to show is Smith's talent, leaving the drama in the background. With each appearance of the protagonist, his scene seems to have been all set up to be the short presentation clip at awards. His dialogues and monologues are always grandiose, with a great dramatic load, as if each moment were the greatest performance of his career. Despite achieving, in part, its objective, the loser is the general context, and consequently the spectator. However, we are facing a complex topic, which deals with a true cultural symbol of that society, and which would have the power to shake the foundations of an immensely profitable industry. And all this ends up being in the background. And Will Smith is not an actor who needs this over-the-top attention. He has already shown a lot of talent and dramatic ability several times, as in the excellent "Ali" and "Looking for Happiness". And here again. He performs a great character build, adding small details such as the way he walks and the "conversation" with those who will undergo his autopsies. The accent, so commented on the internet, does not bother and even helps in the composition of the character, which is far from a good part of the actor's recent works. It's not the acting that makes the movie worth it or overcomes the script's irregularity, but it doesn't compromise any moment of the plot either.
The rest of the cast, even if they perform at the height of the star, have little to do due to the exaggerated prominence of their co-star. One of the caveats concerns the development of Prema (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). She is Omalu's wife, but her participation in the story was too restricted to just a partner who supports her husband. She did a lot more in reality and it was unnecessary to invent her abortion; the script apparently wanted to add more drama to the doctor's journey, but that's totally unnecessary. After all, there's already too much drama there and Gugu could have been used in another way, other than as a thoughtful woman who later loses a baby who never existed. Another distortion was that of Omalu's boss, Cyril Wecht (Albert Brooks). Their outcome was totally different from the real one, in every way. If on screen it seems that their professional and personal relationship speaks louder after the FBI accusations hit both, the truth was almost the opposite: the police only wanted Wecht and Omalu himself testified against him.
Based on real events, "Concussion" is not a bad film, although its script, linear and conventional, seems to have been molded to suit the heroic, very positive, and somewhat inoffensive aura that Smith almost always sought to attach to your star image. His performance is carefully planned to earn him awards, from the strong accent to the shy and rather self-absorbed posture of the character, which does not gain greater complexity because, the whole time, the film seems to scream: "Look how good Will Smith is!". Exaggerating the prideful issues, given that one of the protagonist's greatest desires is to be an American, but managing to put his finger on the wound regarding the issue of the harm that sport has on its athletes, the film delivers what it promises.
The starting point for the investigation is the death of former athlete and Pittsburgh Steelers idol "Iron" Mike Webster (David Morse), who showed signs of dementia, depression and seizures. The doctor in question, Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith), is a Nigerian living in the United States, with a long list of graduations. In doing his research he receives the support of Dr. Cyril Wecht (Albert Brooks), his superior at the hospital where he works, of Dr. Julian Bailes (Alec Baldwin), former team doctor of the Pittsburgh Steelers and his partner Prema Mutiso (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). However, he suffers sanctions and threats from fans of the sport, as well as leaders and lawyers of the NFL, National Football League.
Something that the script apparently makes clear to the viewer is the passion of Americans for football. Several dialogues and images show the people's excitement and love for the game, such as young people who start playing it from childhood at home or at school, and statistical data on the impact on the population and on the government itself. This notion of the NFL's power helps contextualize us in the story and understand the kind of confrontation the main character has; and how difficult he becomes more and more as his studies reach the media and bother the big bosses of the sport. During the course of the film, we also get to know the doctor better as a person, a fundamental piece for us to connect with his fight. He is nothing more than an extremely studious and dedicated man to work, who does not let money and interests influence his attitudes. He discovers the connection between football and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a disease that caused dozens of former players to die in the future, and he does everything to make it visible and result in a solution on the part of the NFL. Omalu never wants to destroy the sport, he wants to find a way to prevent others from dying.
The best part of the production is the montage, the result of a mixture of real scenes, reports and interviews, and fictional scenes. At one point, when it came time to show the death of one of the players who suffered from ETC (a disease caused by concussions), a quick transition between archival footage of a police car and scenes from the film itself made everything more believable. It's the time when the production really suggests the problem to be discussed, but which often gets lost in Omalu's personal dilemmas. The photograph uses a cold palette, referring both to Omalu's work and to the obscurity of the subject. Another great highlight is the excellent make-up work, which transforms the well-known faces of the cast into those real characters. In the end, "Concussion" sounds like an incomplete pass. Despite conveying the message about the health problems that American football can cause, Lendesman lacks brilliance, who opts for several subplots instead of investing in a point of real importance - a point that is not Omalu's novel, for example, one of the film's many subplots. And finally, Will Smith's good performance is not enough to overcome the uneven script and direction without pulses evident in the feature.
The facts narrated in the film had already shaken the country when they came to light, brooding over the flaws and wounds of a national passion is always something very powerful and putting the man behind this whole story in the spotlight is at least necessary. Therefore, Concussion was born with the best intentions in the world, almost an edifying project to show a man who battles against everything and everyone, in addition to his own adversities (a black immigrant in a corporate war in the USA). And in fact, as a critique and social denouncement, it is a film that works very well, a feature that fulfills its function of informing and raising public awareness. It is true that precisely for this reason Concussion abuses didacticism, both in the form of dialogues and in the form of cinema, a film that does not provoke or even move the spectator through its direction. In this way, the film is conducted in a concise manner, in that old craftsmanship, in which the filmmaker's signature is left aside in order to convey in the most sober and simple way possible the facts and accusations from Dr. Omalu's point of view.
The big problem with "Concussion" is when the film leaves this informative core and tries to give a human perspective to its protagonist, revealing a problematic character construction. Bennet Omalu is almost portrayed as sent by God, an enlightened being, in the feature film by Peter Landesman (also scripted by him) his protagonist is built as if he were a perfect man, without any problems and flaws, he cannot be less human than that. It is also in this narrative sphere that the film demonstrates its greatest weaknesses, mainly because it has a poorly structured script, which is evident in the very poorly developed relationship between the protagonist and his future wife, and that in a few seconds two strangers become husband and wife. Woman without causing the viewer any empathy, as if the film was in a hurry to advance this core, thus losing any humanity that the production could have.
Even though it has a quality cast, Peter Lendesman's film fails to lead the viewer on the growing trajectory that the script suggests. From the discovery of the diseases caused to the final revelation, passing through the deaths and negotiations with the NFL, the feature is always in the middle of the road when trying to create some involvement. The romance of the main couple has no appeal, the friendship between the protagonist and Julian Bailes (Alec Baldwin) and even the enmity between Omalu and the big bosses of American football are not convincing. Each of these arcs is presented, but they develop in a dragging way and none of them reach an interesting climax.
It is undeniable that "Concussion" is made for Will Smith to shine. The main feeling is that all the director wants to show is Smith's talent, leaving the drama in the background. With each appearance of the protagonist, his scene seems to have been all set up to be the short presentation clip at awards. His dialogues and monologues are always grandiose, with a great dramatic load, as if each moment were the greatest performance of his career. Despite achieving, in part, its objective, the loser is the general context, and consequently the spectator. However, we are facing a complex topic, which deals with a true cultural symbol of that society, and which would have the power to shake the foundations of an immensely profitable industry. And all this ends up being in the background. And Will Smith is not an actor who needs this over-the-top attention. He has already shown a lot of talent and dramatic ability several times, as in the excellent "Ali" and "Looking for Happiness". And here again. He performs a great character build, adding small details such as the way he walks and the "conversation" with those who will undergo his autopsies. The accent, so commented on the internet, does not bother and even helps in the composition of the character, which is far from a good part of the actor's recent works. It's not the acting that makes the movie worth it or overcomes the script's irregularity, but it doesn't compromise any moment of the plot either.
The rest of the cast, even if they perform at the height of the star, have little to do due to the exaggerated prominence of their co-star. One of the caveats concerns the development of Prema (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). She is Omalu's wife, but her participation in the story was too restricted to just a partner who supports her husband. She did a lot more in reality and it was unnecessary to invent her abortion; the script apparently wanted to add more drama to the doctor's journey, but that's totally unnecessary. After all, there's already too much drama there and Gugu could have been used in another way, other than as a thoughtful woman who later loses a baby who never existed. Another distortion was that of Omalu's boss, Cyril Wecht (Albert Brooks). Their outcome was totally different from the real one, in every way. If on screen it seems that their professional and personal relationship speaks louder after the FBI accusations hit both, the truth was almost the opposite: the police only wanted Wecht and Omalu himself testified against him.
Based on real events, "Concussion" is not a bad film, although its script, linear and conventional, seems to have been molded to suit the heroic, very positive, and somewhat inoffensive aura that Smith almost always sought to attach to your star image. His performance is carefully planned to earn him awards, from the strong accent to the shy and rather self-absorbed posture of the character, which does not gain greater complexity because, the whole time, the film seems to scream: "Look how good Will Smith is!". Exaggerating the prideful issues, given that one of the protagonist's greatest desires is to be an American, but managing to put his finger on the wound regarding the issue of the harm that sport has on its athletes, the film delivers what it promises.