Concussion (2013) User Reviews

That is why I like indie cinema

[cinematic_aficionado · 6/10 · 30 May 2014]

This continues with a recent trend in cinema in dealing with a rather contemporary phenomenon that of same sex couples and the challenges they face. The heroine in this story is trapped by her partner who is driven, successful provides a nice home for both to live but totally neglects her as well as her needs. Everything is about the alpha female spouse. But there's two in a marriage right?

As part of an effort of self exploration as well as increasing unfulfilled sexual needs she rents an apartment down town and makes it something of a lesbian brothel which causes something of a transformation in her in the sense that from feeling inadequate and incomplete, suddenly she is filled with capacity to give pleasure to those who come her way.

Such as is the nature of experiments like this, as the story progresses it leads to one big question: how long can/will she carry on leading a double life?

Captivating and poignant, it is another gem of indie cinema.

Slow-paced Sapphic 'passionate explorations', still registers well in pantheon of current art house indies

[Turfseer · 6/10 · 18 February 2014]

Robin Weigert stars as Abby, a bored suburban lesbian housewife who seeks to turn her sexual fantasies into reality. When she's hit in the head by accident by her son wielding a baseball bat, this appears to be the catalyst that propels her into a new life of sensuous abandon.

The concussion itself may be the catalyst but the real reason why Abby seeks to make changes in her life is because of the lack of passion in her relationship with her wife, Kate, an attorney who no longer seems to be interested in sex.

Abby tries two separate forays with prostitutes—the first a disaster, as the woman makes her feel dirty when they have sex. The second is the opposite: Gretchen, a young, sexy woman who's putting herself through school by servicing clients. Abby meets the latter through Jake, a young contractor who she's conscripted to work on her new avocation—renovating fixer-uppers in Manhattan for profit. Things go so well with Gretchen that Abby decides to turn tricks herself for $800 a pop, with the help of Jake, who finds various clients for her.

It does take a while before we break into Act Two when Abby sets off on her own, and often it's difficult to figure out who's who and what the characters are saying. This may due in part to director Stacie Passon's cinema verité style.

Once the protagonist begins meeting the clients, I would say what happens is mildly interesting. Abby has three main clients: an obese student who's never had sex before; a well-off middle-aged woman who at first leaves without engaging and a third woman, Sam (Maggie Siff), a bisexual woman who lives in Abby's neighborhood. The sex scenes are chaste in comparison to other 'art' films such as 'Blue is the Warmest Color' and here and there, Ms. Passon does a decent enough job of fleshing most of the characters out.

The scenes involving the couples' children were obviously inserted to show that Abby's forays into self-gratification were not her sole preoccupation. In fact, she comes across as an involved Mom, along with her significant other, despite their inescapable estrangement.

Passon's strategy perhaps is to illustrate her own fantasy life which is comprised of an active sex drive as well as a need to play therapist (Abby never sends away the inexperienced women who are in need of comforting).

Some may be put off by Abby's detachment but personally that didn't bother me at all. Overall, this is a professional made film with actors that deliver an air of assured verisimilitude. The slow pacing may be off-putting and the denouement is indecisive, but for those with the taste for it, you should find the film engaging. 'Concussion' indeed is a bit off-beat, but registers well in the pantheon of current art house indies.

Alright movie, with great lead performance, but leaves us cold in the end

[aaskillz69 · 6/10 · 6 October 2013]

So this was coming out this week, and i said why not, i remember hearing good things about this movie when it came out at the Sundance Film Festival in the beginning of the year, so yeah, i gave this movie a chance. Concussion is the directorial day view for director Stacie Passon and it stars Robin Weigert, Maggie Siff, Johnathan Tchaikovsky.

And i don't think i have much to say about this one, i mean it has some quality, its a decent directorial debut, but the movie just did not hit me. Concussion follows Abby a lesbian who is going through a mid-life crises, she has no sex with her partner Julie Fain Lawrence, and she goes to see a hooker. And then things get a bit more complicated. So this actually came first than Blue is the Warmest Color another lesbian story, that unfortunately i have not seen yet, but i am very excited too.

But the movie is not really about lesbians, or the social problems or anything like that, this movie is about a women that is repressed sexually and is trying to help, another women that are also sexually repressed, she is really discovering herself doing this process. Justin says to Abby that she has to stop doing what she is doing, that what she is doing, he says "this isn't you" and she answers "something has to be me by now". She is really trying to figure things out, inside herself, she knows that she cant keep up with her boring sad life, she wants change.

The performances are really good, Robin Weigert does some very impressive work in this movie has Abby, but really, that is just it, the movie just does not have enough to offer. And when i left the room i was feeling nothing. Decent debut for its director Stacie Passon and good performance by Robin Weigert but that is basically it. Rating:C+

A display of loneliness

[i-spookie · 19 November 2013]

That was a random display of loneliness. I wonder if there were any grownups in this movie that was truly happy ?? Apart from "The Girl" that was merely neuvrotic that is. The film painted also a very grim picture of middle-class America in my mind. I found it uncomfortable to watch often. But apart from the above mentioned - the acting was damned good on Robin Weigert's part, and she alone kept it interesting for me. If it's a lesbian film ???? Have no idea. There were lesbians in it, but I found it to be overall a society tale of a certain class of Americans, and Jeezz what empty lives they are leading sitting there on there little bikes in the gym, sipping cocktails and joining all kinds of charities. As a European - I do not get this thing the US have about sexuality. Eighter it has to be totally taboo - or down and dirty - I just don't get it. So - I made up my own ending to spice it up a bit. Abby finally got her climax with random Sam - and I do not think that that stopped after the last frame - finally left her ice-prinsess Kate, and managed to get some happiness into her life. At leased - that would be something to stop the boredom.

Some Sizzle Then All Fizzle

[ikeybabe · 6/10 · 21 June 2014]

After watching this movie, I am feeling really unsatisfied. OK, so the movie was good. The acting excellent and the script was interesting and while some may think the pacing was slow, I thought it was well-done. A lesbian housewife is bored *SPOILER ALERT* because her busy wife seems to have forgotten sex exists. So, bored lesbian housewife seeks a little satisfaction with a prostitute. Then, gets hip to turning tricks herself. She's "breathing" finally (as the script makes very clear). She's finding herself. And after this exploration is complete the whole ending is a complete and utter let down. There's the reveal, but the expected explosion (pun actually intended) or confrontation just never comes (again, pun intended). There's no resolution - just that life goes on. So, it was interesting, entertaining and saying something somewhat meaningful up until the very end of the flick when the story just fizzles.

Entitled lesbian tries prostitution to fix her emotional constipation.

[suite92 · 6/10 · 24 February 2014]

Abby gets a baseball to the head; hence the title. At age 42, this event, plus general mid-life crisis, seems like a reason to change up her life significantly.

She provisions a new apartment that she shares (non-overlapping time slots) with Justin. She finds that his girlfriend is paying for college by arranging prostitutes for lesbians. Abby tries a prostitute arranged through the girlfriend. The prostitute has good things to say about Abby; after several talks with Justin, he agrees to help get her clients.

Not unexpectedly, some of the client match ups work out well, others not. After a time, she cuts out Justin and works with his girlfriend directly. Clients come and go.

Since her relationship with Justin has deteriorated somewhat, she and Justin decide to sell it.

At the end of the day, does her choice of activities make anything better? Is anything cleared up? Is there any resolution that arises?

------Scores------

Cinematography: 10/10 Beautiful.

Sound: 9/10 No particular problems.

Acting: 5/10 There are lots of head shots of entitled people who are ever so satisfied with themselves. This endless, pointless, distracting stream of body English rather defeats attempts at acting in this muddy vanity film by a first-time auteur. The lead, Robin Weigert, was the worst.

Screenplay: 4/10 Oi, tiresome. Lots of kvetching, PC rants, and people who cannot connect with themselves. The kvetching and the rants come from the self-loathing. Does this emotional constipation ever get unblocked? No.

Bored with daily life.

[jgardiner-871-726729 · 3/10 · 24 April 2021]

I'm watching this. What is this woman looking for? What she is doing seems meaningless. She is not doing it for money. She is not doing it for love. Is she just bored?

I don't really understand her relationship with Kate. So Kate is her partner. Is Justin just her pimp? What is the plot or story. It's just about lesbian sex.

I really didn't get this at all. I tried so hard to understand it but I didn't get it.

Much more than cheap titillation

[Ruskington · 6/10 · 9 December 2020]

Intriguing without being captivating. Not as ponderous or pretentious as many of these films tend to be. Strong performance from Robin Weigert carries many parts of the story. Despite a somewhat limp climax and a couple of weak accessory characters, Concussion is an interesting and nicely presented movie.

Humdrum

[markmclews · 3/10 · 27 December 2021]

A very bland boring film about everyday people!

The reason we watch movies is for escape, not to be reminded of our everyday lives but for excitement and fantasy, this movie isn't it!

Unattractive people doing unattractive things!

The best thing about the film is the use of a David Bowie song (one of my favourites).

The worst thing about the film is it has a Canadian feel about it, I was surprised it was made in America, it just feels Canadian.

Style, neat story, meandering ending

[billtodd-05377 · 6/10 · 1 September 2020]

I like small independent films and I liked this one. Engaging until it got near the end and I felt like it lost focus. extra points for being shot in New Jersey. Check it out if you have the time.

Discovering Sexuality & Loneliness

[FilmMan47 · 4/10 · 30 January 2014]

if you like soft core films please do not think this is the one for you because it features only small amount of sexual scenes,there is another movie called blue is the warmest color which i have seen and came to the conclusion that concussion is a better film then that if you like lesbian stories this isn't a film just for the sake of lesbian relationships its more then that i remember someone said online about Asian rock music legend Ali Azmat that he quoted people like being alone but they don't like being lonely.

the plot:after getting hit by a ball Abby suffers head injury she needs a change in life,want to discover sexuality rather then be a regular lesbian housewife decides to become a prostitute and have sexual relations with other women having similar problems.

the cast:Robin Weight & Maggie Siff looked awesome they did some good acting.

Abby is a confused lesbian shes getting different aspects abut how things are but its not just that she wants sexual intimacy and love to live alone separate her meeting other girls in the town inviting them to have sex with her it changes her mid a bit as is this the stuff she really wants or not what if someone founds out,what if she falls in love with one of the women shes having intimacy with i mean there is a lot variation this film shows but its a bit lengthy as runtime goes longer then expected plus many scenes that should have been edited have been left in the theatrical cut it becomes very boring during the second half its Abby's life as where she finds happiness she will do those things it got me thinking what if she turns straight i must admit this script got me.

overall concussion 2013 is a film that discusses a state of pause in topic of sex as sex like if you are a loner and want some sex if you get it whats next so all these thins are in this. sex itself is a large topic,here is the thing this film reveals much more then viewer wants it depends on how you take it.

My Rating For Concussion 2013 is 4/10 a one time watch for some nice acting.

Worth watching

[Taylor95 · 8/10 · 25 July 2014]

I watched this movie a few days ago, and I thought it was OK, but something happened. In the days that followed, it stayed with me. I actually found myself thinking about it at work, at home, at night. It was a great character study and a compelling drama of a woman who had lost herself, as often does, within a marriage. Doesn't matter whether the union is straight or gay, it often happens. After a couple years in a relationship, there is a tempering of passions and real life takes over; the house, the kids, car payments, jobs and everyday life is rather boring and what do you do when one partner decides there is no room in her life for passion?

The performances were excellent, Robin Weigert was exceptionally good in the lead role of Abby and the writing was very good. I just wish Maggie Siff's character would have had a few more scenes. :) What I loved most is that even though this is a movie with "lesbians"...it's not really about lesbians...it's just about people and relationships and the primary character could have been straight, I don't think the movie would have been any different. I was impressed with the handling of homosexuality, finally in a movie, that didn't discuss it or analyze it...it just was.

Good story, well acted, complex but seems that script was incomplete

[beesusie · 6/10 · 9 February 2014]

Perhaps 6 is too low a rating for this movie, which was well acted and suspenseful in that you do not know where Kate and Abby's marriage is headed or what the consequences of Abby's prostitution will be.

I do think it is of interest that the women are a gay married couple, depicting that their marriage is similar to others, yet individual.

My problem was that either my brain's neurological connections are weak or the script assumed that we knew what Abby was doing with the loft apartment in the first place or even what Kate did for work. It would have helped me and my husband to have some of the mundane facts of their situation a little better spelled out. Some other things were not too clear to me, either.

I do recommend the movie, but you might have to let your questions on some mundane facts just unfold and pay attention to the important stuff.

Been done before

[don-franks · 5/10 · 8 January 2019]

This film is a well-done film. But a film about trying to escape from the hum-drum existence of living in the suburbs has been done before. In fact it has been done so often it is almost its own genre. The only difference is that the boredom here is between same-sex parents. The rest is the same: attend exercise classes with other bored suburbanites, take the kids to school, athletic practice, etc. Changing the husband-wife to same sex-partners attempts to add zip to the tired story. But it doesn't.

Depressing, sexless but I suppose though provoking

[buznapper-95630 · 6/10 · 18 December 2021]

This movie was a sad watch. Not because of the subject matter of extramarital sex or escorts, but rather the lack of passion and asexual nature of the encounters.

The good things about the movie are they keep the parties blamesless, and expose a society struggling with love and sexuality in a suburban setting. As good as these women are try to look for themselves, they end up stripping down their sexuality but with that comes a lack of passion and ability to enjoy exploration of the body. There is little frame of reference between men and women here and any kissing comes from a point of desperation or loneliness than from any place of sexual exploration.

The film is thought provoking. I think it highlight where we are in society when it comes to romance and sexuality. There are lots of blurred lines and it's creating confusion. No one actually does anything, feels anything or grows emotionally in the film, as it does well to lay o the table, and I the end everyone is lonely and empty - even if they have a committed and passionate husband.

To be honest we all need to have a bit of fun, but that won't happen until we get a lot over ourselves. Ego needs a door to exit from.

Confusing title

[sdan-86640 · 1/10 · 20 December 2018]

Didn't enjoy this movie. The title confused me. It was boring to watch and not very interesting

Terrible ending

[marticarling · 3/10 · 13 January 2024]

Had there been some sort of conclusion at the end of the movie, I may have enjoyed it more. After spending the time watching it I was disappointed that it didn't wrap up a little better. So the lead actress just goes along like as if nothing happened. Just continues to plod along through her life. Her wife suddenly wants to travel. Big whoop. I liked the casting of the full figured girl, and hoped there would be no mention of her weight, but they went there. Too bad. I don't think it was a true depiction of what sex workers experience. Since when do they kiss on the mouth? Seemed all a little too safe, pretty & clean.

Mind changing

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 8 August 2013]

Or life altering. I don't think you have to be lesbian to make a film about lesbians, but in this case it clearly did not hurt. But to reduce it only to that (positively/negatively) would not be fair to the movie and the story it tries to tell. The script is clever without trying. Of course some might only be intrigued or appalled as already mentioned by the lesbian theme. Hope you can see through that and concentrate on the movie and its themes.

It's about love in general, about loss and life and many other things. Dialog is really good, the cast is amazing. It was one of the positive surprises at the Berlin International Festival. I can only recommend it

No ending

[elixlynes · 8/10 · 24 April 2019]

Very good overall, compelling storyline. Was left disappointed with the lack of a solid ending though.

Concussion

[doctorsmoothlove · 9/10 · 17 August 2018]

Note: I streamed this film from Netflix on a 4K TV. Good image quality and good movie.

"Concussion" takes place within the mind of an early 40s housewife, Abby, who is unhappy in her marriage. She and her wife are more like roommates with children than a married couple. One afternoon while renovating an apartment with a handyman, Abby finishes her work and hires a female escort to who compliments her on her skills in the bedroom. This leads to a newfound hobby, or maybe, a passing fancy for Abby.

Abby is a depressed character. It's clear she isn't that interested in her marriage or even her children. The film threads the line very carefully to avoid any melodrama or cheese presented by this premise. Abby's micro affairs don't seem to offer her any more peace than that of sexual satiety. The numerous sex scenes do not titillate the viewer. Many of the scenes show only a portion of the coitus or the beginning/end. The rest is left to our imagination, which it should be. We don't feel anything from these scenes but what actor Robin Weigert wants us to see: melancholy.

Concussion is a study in control by Robin Weigert and director Stacie Passon. Abby eventually meets a fellow mom, Sam, from her children's elementary school as a client. The two of them have obvious physical chemistry and share a sense of friendship. We think and even hope that Abby will finally have some type of passion in her life. And she doesn't. Abby can't understand why Sam would want to pay for an escort when she has a husband who appears totally into her. Sam says she's just bored. Aren't we all.

The film succeeds because it's free from any sort of an agenda. The same-sex story has little relevance to the plot. What is missing, if anything, is an idea of how Abby came to be in this phase of her life. Has she always been this way? I was engrossed enough in the physical storytelling that I wanted to know more.

amazing

[medina-34574 · 9/10 · 1 February 2019]

This was SO MUCH BETTER than I expected. the lead is such a hot mom and I couldn't take my eyes off her the entire film. the only reason i rated this a 9 was for the ending. this movie deserved a great finale but it's still worth the watch.

Character Study, Of Sorts

[gjacoby-13495 · 8/10 · 5 June 2020]

I agree with several of the reviewers about this being not about lesbians and straights, but about middle age despair at the reality of an unfulfilled life. I watched it because I really like Robin Weigert, and she was the hidden jewel in this (and was nominated for awards for her performance). It also brings to mind Diary of a Mad Housewife, where Carrie Snodgress is in an abusive, loveless marriage to a New York lawyer clawing his way to the top and treating her like dirt. She was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for best actress. But, check it out, and you will see the similarities, along with the obvious differences. This movie has lesbian sex scenes, but I did not find them salacious or gratuitous. They fit well in Abby's (Robin Weigert) character development, and are, in my opinion, just part of our human condition, gay or straight. I would have rated it a ten, but I was a little disappointed there wasn't a "Hallmark Movies" ending, but it is most assuredly a representation of a banal and trite existence endured by many.

Unique and Beautiful

[junipertre3 · 10/10 · 2 January 2020]

I had no idea what to expect when I first started watching this, but by the end, I was in awe. What an amazing film! So smart, affecting, and deeply thought-provoking. I don't want to give anything away, but I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you give this a chance if you're looking for something different.

This movie implies that . . .

[tadpole-596-918256 · 8/10 · 28 October 2013]

. . . lesbians married to each other are sort of asexual unless they suffer a concussion. The movie begins with divorce lawyer Kate Abelman (Julie Fain Lawrence) and her wife, interior designer Abby (Robin Weigert) stuck in a routine of raising their two elementary or Pre-school children, taking care of the house, going to work, and working out (Abby is some sort of a fitness freak, running in her neighborhood, running on a treadmill, pedaling in a gym with a horde of other women on long ranks of stationary bikes, etc.). On the rare occasions when Abby "is in the mood" for loving, she wakes up Kate, who reaches over to get something started--but falls back asleep 8 seconds later! This story implies things would continue like this indefinitely, but Kate and Abby's son pegs a baseball off the corner of Abby's left eye so hard (WHO taught him to throw like this? = CONCUSSION's big mystery) she suffers a bloody concussion. As soon as her eye is healed, Kate takes "Eleanor" as her new sex worker name, and starts getting naked with any female who has $800 to spare. When the other Junior Leaguer soccer moms at her kids' school (in this case, it's lacrosse) start climbing in bed with Abby/Eleanor, things get complicated at the local grocery store.

Not bad.

[melissa-richards58 · 10/10 · 1 August 2020]

Just found the movie on Netflix and It's the first Robin Weigagret and Maggie Siff movie I've seen like ever and I'll admit the movie Ain't all that bad. It's just when I watch SOA with Maggie Siff and Robin Weigaret together won't be the same lol.