'Concussion' Review

Concussion tells the true tale of Dr. Bennet Omalu's discovery of CTE. CTE stands for Chronic traumatic encephalopathy and is caused by repetitive brain trauma which is commonly found in retired football player's due to concussions. The film then showcases Omalu's battle against the NFL as they attempt to sweep his discovery under the rug while he is trying to bring the truth to the people. I found this to be an interesting basis for the film and was engaged throughout in the intriguing conflict between Omalu and the NFL. Peter Landesman directs and does a great job ensuring the story was brought to the surface which is assisted by the intriguing subject matter and Will Smith's performance. Concussion functions best as a performance piece spotlighting Will Smith as Dr. Bennet Omalu and Will Smith gives a phenomenal performance throughout the entire film. At no point in the film did I think I was watching Will Smith as he transformed himself into the well regarded Dr. Bennet Omalu. In becoming the character Smith uses a Nigerian accent and it was seamless throughout and never felt fake or forced but natural for the character of Dr. Bennet Omalu. Will Smith definitely deserves an Academy Award nomination at the very least if not a win. (I can't quite speak for that yet because there are several award contenders I haven't watched yet). Smith is reinforced by Alec Baldwin and Albert Brooks who both are fantastic in their supporting roles. While I really enjoyed Concussion, I did however find a few nitpick flaws in the plot and the story. I didn't feel like the romantic subplot for Omalu was crucial to the story and when the film cut away from his research or investigation into CTE the film became less interesting and somewhat dragged during these romantic scenes. Overall I can say that Concussion is a very thought proving film and doesn't quite attack the sport of football but rather the NFL for ignoring the problem and trying to sweep it under the rug. I would highly recommend Concussion as Will Smith gives one of his best performances in years and it was very interesting to learn about the CTE scandal and the NFL's cover-up of the crisis.

Film Assessment: B-