Concussion
Concussionisn’t a great biopic but it tells a great story - thanks to stirring subject matter and a quality performance from Will Smith.
When retired Pittsburgh Steelers center , and Hall of Famer , Mike Webster ( David Morse ) commits suicide , after calendar month of erratic behaviour , his body derive before Nigerian - born forensic neuropathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu ( Will Smith ) . charge with fix thetruecause of Webster ’s death , the affliction that lead to the Football musician ’s descent into mental unstableness , Omalu formulates a hypothesis : repeated blows to the head , as have by football game musician over a X on the field of battle , irreversibly damage the brain - leading to unsafe genial impairments ( impression , anxiousness , memory going , and hostility , among other symptoms ) .
Omalu and his fellow investigator titled the upset CTE ( Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy ) and began publishing their findings - in decree to educate players , and the general public , on the possible peril of football game . Omalu ’s goal was to " define the problem " but the NFL comprehend the doctor ’s determination as a menace to the mutation , and their line of work , attempting to discredit the link between football and CTE . unluckily , as more former player turn up dead , come after a rapid descent in mental health , that tie-in and the NFL ’s complacence , became increasingly unmanageable for Omalu , as well as the general public , to push aside .
inspire by the high visibility last of NFL stars Dave Duerson and Junior Seau , as well as Jeanne Marie Laskas’GQreport " Game Brain",Concussionwas initially localize to be helm by Ridley Scott ; however , it was author / managing director Peter Landesman ( Parkland ) that would finally gestate the project from page to cover . Landesman ’s sophomore feature film , Concussionmanages to balance chronicle Omalu ’s personal conflict , depicting the NFL ’s loath ( and at time hostile ) response , as well as educating moviegoers on the mechanics of CTE , for a substantial , albeit relatively uninventive , biopic .
The filmmaker deliver the goods inConcussion ’s two independent goal : a showcase for Will Smith ’s talentandportraying CTE with relatable humbleness . Still , Concussionis packed by trope of the documentary literary genre - with little but blanket secret plan beats , introductory character motivations , and straightforward cinematography to carry audiences through Omalu ’s showdown with the NFL . Landsman has written and direct a quality moving picture , albeit one that takes fewartisticrisks . The storey is important and will leave a survive imprint on concerned spectator ; yet , howthat story is presented will be less memorable than its message .
A thoughtful depiction of Omalu isConcussion ’s biggest accomplishment - a combination of Landesman ’s writing , Will Smith ’s public presentation , and the material Omalu ’s eccentric appealingness . Selfless and humble , Omalu is , on paper , the sodding apposition for a story about indurate executive that choose to protect a sporting creation rather than protect musician . At metre , Landesman has fuss keeping the picture target , allowing his esteem for Omalu to paint a white and disastrous tale of well - intentioned scientist front - down corporate villains . It ’s a forgivable shortcoming , and a common trap of like biopics , but Omalu is portray without flaw , while nearly every one around him is presented as a one - note caricature - project to represent , with a heavy bridge player , various voices within the CTE argument .
Nevertheless , even though the charactersaroundOmalu are mostly thwart forConcussion ’s star topic , Will Smith supplies one of the best , and most heedful carrying out of his life history . In brief moments , Smith ’s effort to replicate Omalu ’s affectation and cadence can be a beguilement , when the A - listeractstoo hard ; yet , more often than not , it ’s a keen turn - accent with enthusiasm and abide by that will endear interview to Omalu as a real soul off - screen . As with the overarching film , Smith is solid and operate in shedding light on the Dr. and his research , but fall short of being a game - changing part for the actor , specially withThe Pursuit of HappynessandAlistill topping his CV .
Major supporting performances are equally touch , most notably : Alec Baldwin as Dr. Julian Bailes , Gugu Mbatha - Raw as Prema Mutiso , and Albert Brooks as Dr. Cyril H. Wecht . Both Brooks and Mbatha - Raw are confine to standard , though still impactful , biopic outlines - as a no - frill mentor and supportive love pastime , respectively but Baldwin is afford more to do as an empathetic former NFL squad Dr. who partners with Omalu for elevate CTE inquiry and ante up honor to the patients he lost to CTE .
The rest of the cast is comprised of one or two - scene character bring to life by actors with passing resemblance to real - life hit the sack football players and CTE sick person ( include Adewale Akinnuoye - Agbaje as Dave Duerson , Matt Willig as Justin Strzelczyk , and Richard T. Jones as Andre Waters ) , physician ( Eddie Marsan as Dr. Steven DeKosky ) , as well as NFL executives ( Luke Wilson as Roger Goodell ) , that all played a role in Omalu ’s narration . Each performing artist is convincing in their function , especially those portraying former football actor , fleshing out the humanity and politics ofConcussion- but few outside of Omalu , Bailes , Mutiso , and Wecht , are anything more than surface - stratum cog in the narrative .
Like a tidy sum of biopics , Concussionsucceeds at its principal objective - providing viewers with an entertaining coup d’oeil into the story of its principal topic ; in this case : Dr. Omalu and the struggles of CTE researcher . Landesman delivers a enchant climb up off point for spectator to pick up more but falls short in elevating docudrama filmmaking ; rather , setting a stock series of triumph and setbacks for Omalu and his partners to navigate . finally , Concussionisn’t a smashing biopic but ittellsa great narrative - thanks to stirring case issue and a quality performance from Will Smith .
Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Prema Mutiso in Concussion
TRAILER
Concussionruns 123 minute and is Rated PG-13 for thematic material including some disturbing images , and linguistic communication . Now play in theatre .
allow us know what you call back of the film in the gossip section below
Concussion principal Will Smith as Dr. Bennet Omalu , who make a startling uncovering about football game player who suffer retell learning ability damage from concussions . The film , directed by Peter Landesman , is based on the true chronicle of Omalu , whose findings were uncover in an exposé called " Game Brain " in a 2009 GQ powder magazine .
Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Prema Mutiso in Concussion
Alec Baldwin as Dr. Julian Bailes in Concussion
