CONCUSSION: Will Smith Is Brilliant In An Otherwise Inane Sports Drama
Concussion does to the sports film what I was sincerely hoping it would avoid: it dramatizes its subject in such an unbelievable way that it becomes nothing more than mindless propaganda.
Dealing with the true subject of brain injuries within retired NFL players, the film simply floats from one cliché to the next, which left me feeling almost dazed after it had finished. Will Smith‘s strong central performance is not even enough to save Concussion from becoming an almost complete and utter disaster.
The NFL = Pure Evil
Taking place in 2005, Concussion is based on the true story of Bennet Omalu (played by Will Smith), a highly educated forensic pathologist originally from Nigeria. In the course of his autopsies, he stumbles upon the body of Mike Webster, a retired NFL player who had recently committed suicide. What Bennet discovers while examining the body leads him to publish his controversial findings, which conclude that the head traumas Webster received while playing football are what eventually led to his brain injury and the choice to end his life.
It’s not hard to deduce that the NFL was not particularly happy about the production of Concussion. A film that disparages their multi-billion dollar sport as potentially life-threatening is obviously not within their best interests, especially for young football players just starting out. It is fortunate for them, then, that writer/director Peter Landesman portrays the organization the way that he does.
In this film, the NFL is a purely cold-hearted company, so absent of human sympathy that there is no way they could be real. Some of their conversations are even reminiscent of what you would see in the villainous lairs of a Disney movie. Other than Dr. Julian Bales (Alec Baldwin), a doctor who once worked for the NFL but has since retired, the entire organization is nothing more than bad guy tropes in a supposedly based-on-a-true-story film.
The one movie that I kept comparing Concussion to was the recent here), which dramatized the Catholic church scandal in Boston in the early 2000s. That film was surprisingly well-balanced, and while it does discover an ugly truth, it does it by also not painting the church as this wholly dark entity. In fact, it barely even covers the other side at all, and really only deals with the journalism team and their efforts to find the real story.
In the case of Concussion, though, in an attempt to portray both sides of the conflict the film ironically becomes more one-sided than it would have been otherwise.
Character Drama or Sports Film?
It’s not just the portrayal of the NFL that is the issue with Landesman‘s film, though. Before Bennet delves into the brain injury case, we first view him in a courtroom, where he is explaining the medical science behind a recent murder case. In his calm, non-complacent manner, the man could make even the most technical science lingo sound interesting. As it appeared, then, this was going to be an insightful character study into a man who discovers something bigger than himself. And, as portrayed by Will Smith, I was almost immediately on board.
We soon discover that this is not the case, though. In an effort to show the disease itself, the film drastically switches focus to Mike Webster and another football player named Justin Strzelczyk, who are already well on their way to losing their minds due to CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). My issue here was not that the portrayals were unrealistic, it’s just that these short, choppy scenes felt so out of place, and were also filmed in a manner that would be more fitting in a horror movie. Once again, the film never should have attempted to portray anything other than from Bennet’s perspective.
Will Smith at his Most Un-WillSmithy
That being said, there are at least a few positives to Concussion. As mentioned earlier, Will Smith is a dynamic presence in the film, at least when he is given enough screen time. His Nigerian accent and gentle, pensive demeanor made me sometimes forget that this was the same actor known for his often brash personas. The role is easily Smith‘s best performance since 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness.
Among the side performances, Albert Brooks is a charming scene stealer, portraying Bennet’s boss at the medical office. Completely bald, it is almost hard to recognize that it is him (at least, until you hear his voice). Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays a woman named Prema Motiso, a nurse from Africa that also serves as Bennet’s love interest. She is a memorable presence despite a mostly underdeveloped romantic connection between her and Bennet. Alec Baldwin also gives a reasonably good portrayal of a doctor that once earned money while helping the NFL, but has since seen the error in his ways.
Conclusion
It’s no surprise that the NFL was not going to be a huge fan of Concussion. But it is a surprise that they should be so against it, because the film is such a chaotic mess that it all but fails with its message. It may be hard to deny the science behind it, but I honestly don’t think that it’s going to do too much to hurt the sport, especially for devoted fans that could easily just look the other way.
Perhaps if the film was more balanced with its portrayal not only of the NFL but also with its tone and focus, then it would have been more effective. As it is, though, despite an admirable performance by Will Smith, Concussion is mostly a forgettable film.
What did you think of Concussion? Do you think the film has the potential to harm the NFL?
Concussion gets its theatrical release in the U.S. on December 25, while. U.K. audiences will have to wait until February 12, 2016. For international release dates, check here.
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