User reviews

The film Concussion describes the incredible journey by Nigerian Dr. Bennet Omalu (wonderfully played by Will Smith) who uncovered a shocking revelation about the damaging effects football collisions have on its players. More specifically, players whom often went misdiagnosed (e.g. Alzheimer's disease). Dr. Omalu was the first to bring the issue of head-to-head collisions to light, addressing it as a very real problem in need of being fixed by the influential football organizations.

This story of one man's remarkable strength and fortitude, sticking to what was right ultimately pushed the Nigerian doctor never to give up in the face of relentless attempts by the NFL to stifle such findings. What Dr. Omalu was able to do will undoubtedly go down in history books, to be read by training clinicians, aspiring lawyers, and many other professionals. A look deep into ethics, and how the "good guy" can also be the one to come out on top.

If there was ever debate over Smith's talent, it surely could be disregarded after this performance. Many an actor/actress have accepted the daunting task of a role requiring the use of a foreign accent… and very, VERY few can do so successfully. Will Smith will undoubtedly turn heads as this film continues to roll out across the nation.

It is only a shame that the release of the film coincides with that of renowned director Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful 8" which will likely make this particular motion picture pass by unnoticed for many a mainstream viewer.

The lead by Will Smith alone carries Concussion. Don't miss an opportunity to watch something beautiful on screen: an extremely talented actor achieving something which is beyond impressive. To encapsulate a Nigerian immigrant in such a way that comes across as so raw and valid... that is what made this film the powerhouse that it is.

----- 8/10 STARS -------- Review by Searsino -----

The movie got infamous and weirdly enough not so much for what it's about (which would make sense if you consider it kind of destroys the myth surrounding one of the most entertaining sports event Americans love), but for not getting an Oscar nomination. And again, not the movie itself or the story, but one of its stars. This will go down in History as the movie Will Smith did not get Oscar nominated for.

Whether my foreword made you conclude on whether you like my "review" or not is up to you. One thing is for sure: Will Smith does deliver in this movie, he even has an accent. So yeah this is quite a few step ups from things like "Focus" (as enjoyable as it was). You do still kind of wonder why no one is mentioning the severe consequences this seems to have on a lot of people. It's like they want to hide what this is about.

Sort of things they did with other sports/entertainment programs too. See wrestling for example. So whatever your take on Will Smith is, the movie is watchable

Concussion is a biographical picture that takes place in the early 2000's. The movie starts out by showing these players who freak out and start getting dimentia. Will Smith is a pathologist who starts doing autopsies on these players and discovers that there is a common theme, being repeated head trauma to the brain. The NFL knew about what was going on, but didn't say anything. Will Smith tries to shine light on the situation but the NFL does what it can so that the story does not leak.

This movie was a movie I had been looking forward to for a long time because I thought it was very courageous for a movie to tackle this (pun intended) especially with the NFL playoffs right around the corner. This movie certainly makes a statement, but doesn't pack the punch I was hoping to see. Now this movie is not all bad. Will Smith delivers his best performance to date, which he is already being acknowledged for a golden globes (as he should be). He is phenomenal in his role and is committed. Smith does have an accent, but after a couple minutes, you forget that there even is an accent, and you truly believe he talks the way he does. As for the other performances, they were top notch as well.

Besides the performances "Concussion" is a let down. By the end you will find yourself wanting more. There is so much more you wanted to learn about the matter at hand, that the movie drifts away from. The movie ends up being more about Will Smiths character than the football itself, which is fine, but not the movie I thought I was going to see. But it did take away from the balance of the movie.

In the end, As a quarterback I wanted Concussion to go for the endzone, but it ends up doing more of a button hook.

Read more @ The Awards Circuit (http://www.awardscircuit.com)

An inspiring, academic by the name of Dr. Bennet Omalu takes on the titan of Sundays, the NFL, in order to prove a direct link from head trauma during football games to CTE, a football related injury that occurs. Writer/director Peter Landesman takes on the very detailed, and dramatic thriller "Concussion," with an insightful amount of control in direction, mostly thanks to Academy Award winning editor William Goldenberg, who keeps most of the film at a decent pace. However, with a clichéd script that brings the eye-rolling effect to a fever pitch, you can't help but wish that the material was more rendered and secure in its delivery. Surely to bring on an inner rage as we watch these men, so revered by Americans on a weekly basis, beg for absolution as they lose sight of themselves as time progresses. What doesn't work in "Concussion's" favor is the glossing over the real human condition that is so desperately apparent in each frame the film attempts to show.

Starring two-time Academy Award nominee Will Smith as Omalu, he delivers one of his strongest performances ever. An impeccable capture of a man from Africa, soulfully searching for acceptance in America, Smith brings a visible intensity in each line spoken. Settling into a role that calls for the best parts of Smith's charisma, which he has demonstrated effortlessly throughout his career, he handles it with an equally emotional heft that garners most of the film's best moments. This is a performance that deserves to be considered for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Landesman also constructs a decent cast with Alec Baldwin (not totally owning his own southern-ish accent in his exchanges), Gugu Mbatha- Raw (beautiful but utterly wasted in under developed scenes), and David Morse (who deserves much more roles and is quite effective in his limited screen time). Of all the supporting players, Albert Brooks delivers as the vulgar Dr. Cyril Wecht. It'll call back to his beloved turn in "Drive" just a few years back (minus villainous murders). As a distracting entity, Luke Wilson cast as Roger Goodell is a poor choice by the filmmakers, serving nothing more as celebrity wallpaper.

Composer James Newton Howard puts his horns on overload, sweeping into scenes that work well in films like "The Village" but with a film such as "Concussion," it begins to grate on the ears at times.

At 123 minutes, the film bloats like you over indulged at dinner time. In some bizarre, and almost "too try hard" choices, Landesman attempts to focus on some of the more "human" and "natural" elements of Dr. Omalu's life. As we find ourselves more interested in the case at hand, the writer/director almost sets out to make his version of "The Insider," which would be fine if he got a better grasp on which elements he should focus on.

"Concussion" isn't a complete failure, delivering at times with a grandiose turn from Will Smith. If anything, he's more than worth the admission ticket but I believe most of all, the film does successfully place a spotlight on an issue that is in desperate need of change. The final title cards will prove the NFL's power, and even deepen your frustration and anger. I think that it'll at least offer up a discussion point. That's success on its own.

"Why would a man take his own life at the age of 50?" Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith)

For 28% of pro footballers, head problems not just restricted to dizziness are a result of the pounding every week in the NFL. Dr Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist, in Concussion, based on a true story, begins in 2002 the outside-of-the-league autopsies that will eventually expose the CTE impairment and other life-threatening results of the professional battering.

As gently and convincingly played by Will Smith, the doctor eventually gets the NFL and world's attention by scientifically exploring the dead bodies of former players. As in the tobacco wars, the corporation, in this case the league, denies any connection, but that stand is bound to deteriorate as devoted scientists and doctors who know the players are forced to admit the causal relationship.

The film is absorbing when it plays like a medical thriller, perhaps like something Michael Crichton would write in non science fiction. When Concussion tries to integrate the more melodramatic elements of Dr. Omalu's life such as his marriage and the couple's miscarriage, the film becomes mired in tears and melancholy, unfitting for a story worth telling about the professional struggle alone.

Concussion's emphasis on the need for public awareness of the probable danger of tackle football is well presented, even though the NFL seems like a Bond villain's empire. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue started The Committee on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury to explore the injuries and left the results with new commissioner, Roger Goodell.

Although settlement for players ensued, the concussions are still around.

Concussion isn't a bad movie - however, with the real-life implications of the story and subject matter this could have been a hard hitting dramatic tour de force.

Instead it is a passable drama. There were many missed opportunities for making it even more dramatic without taking overdramatizing. Some of the scenes with one Dr. explaining the medical condition another Dr.in the most simplistic terms - clearly the writer chose this format for explaining the condition to the audience, but it just seemed strange.

Will Smith's acting was top notch.

The writing was not. Landesman is probably a very good investigative journalist, but needs to hone his chops as a dramatic writer.

I found Alec Baldwin unconvincing as his character - this could have been either a deficit in directing or acting.

I am a survivor of playing on high school concussions. I finally quit playing by so many positive family influences in my life. I grew up playing Texas football, the "American Dream". I received my final football concussion in 2000 and discontinued playing football. Troy Aikman was the only one anyone talked about at this time regarding concussions and everyone thought he was fine. What they didn't talk about which this movie does a great job is pointing out all the players that died or had violent disruptive behavior due to post conclusion syndrome. I rated this movie a 10 because there will be millions of dollars spent to make the movie go away. It's important for every parent in America to understand what football can do to your kids. Football is a great sport but their can be serious life consequences that can come from it.

Football 2000 years later will be looked at as Roman Gladiators once were.

I loved every minute of my experience with football growing up. But the reality is the overwhelming effects this sport causes to our brains.

It was once said to me that if the brain injury could be seen on the outside of your body it wouldn't even be a question if football would still be a sport. However, it's not and that's why it's unspoken.

I very much support this movie and I am glad that Sony Pictures (only non nfl contract) took the liberty to show people what this sport's health effects can have on young kids and adults.

Hope you enjoy my real-life review. I feel lucky to be alive. Lucky that I was surrounded by people that could think there was more to life then the "American Dream". God Bless

Just watched this "Based on a True Story" drama with my movie theatre-working friend. We both were enthralled by this story of Will Smith's Nigerian doctor finding out about a former NFL football player's death after suffering a concussion of the head and his later attempts to analyze similar fatalities of other deaths involving football players. Alec Baldwin plays another doctor who was also once a football player who sympathizes with Will's plight especially when the organization tries to put a stop to it all. We also get a little look at Will's character's off-duty life with a woman who's living with him and who's also from his country. Maybe there could have been some improvements, drama-wise. Still, Concussion is worth a look for anyone wanting to learn why not more is done to make sure many of these players are protected from constant injuries when on the field.

The acting was Oscar worthy, the science behind the discovery was fascinating, and the fact that it's based on a true story is incredible. It's proof that one person can make a difference. What is more impressive is after watching the film I discovered that this movie was a watered-down version of the original script. Even though Sony tried to avoid legal issues with the NFL by softening the script, I still found it spellbinding.

I will say that I think it's ironic Sony made a movie about a man taking a stand against the NFL yet Sony pictures, with all their resources, are too afraid to do the same.

The findings presented in this movie changed the sporting landscape forever.

That should not be diminished and I think from a global point of view this was under-represented in the movie, as it changed many sports not just the NFL.

A well delivered story that feels surprisingly short. I thought the actors were well cast and the tone of the movie was perfect.

Interesting and entertaining...a good mix.

I've played football at every level and nearly every professional football league possible for the last 20 years of my life and trust me when I say this movie is a MUST SEE!! After watching "Concussion" with my son on Christmas day I had an epic awakening of common sense. The movie hit home so hard for me that I will no longer support the game of football. I will not play, coach, or watch it again until overall awareness and change is set in place for the affects of playing the game to be accounted for in some kind of way on a large scale. I have played this game for the last 20 years of my life and have physically felt the affects of it more and more each year. If you have played this game you know the "SuperMan" like culture that comes with it. How it is a sin to get hurt or say "I have a headache". I will no longer turn a blind eye to the long term affects of ignoring the phrase. What the normal fan or anyone who hasn't played the game at a high level doesn't know is the stress and depression that comes with leaving the game. I'd equate it to being the same as losing a spouse of 30+ years but add 100 blows to the head every day of each year. You already feel lost and meaningless but you also have years of brain damage which inflates the process. I grew up with a love for football because of its culture, all the great things it taught me, and the qualities it brought out of me and my "brothers", my teammates. BUT all of that is not worth my life after football. The fact of the matter is we as a society have turned a blind eye to the long term affects of playing football and I refuse to be a part of the problem any longer. This movie is not as visually gripping as it could have been and it also doesn't expand anywhere near as far as it could have on the obvious occurrence of brain injuries throughout every level of the sport but it gets right to the point and it shines light on the facts. The sport isn't going anywhere safe until the NFL does and the NFL has not and probably will not because of money. If change in the sport is going to occur it has to start at the top. After watching this movie every parent has to question if they want their child to participate in this sport. For me and my children, it's a definite "No-Brainer".

Concussion is a good movie with a reasonably well developed plot and a fantastic cast. It is certainly a very intriguing story, made all the while more enjoyable with a stellar group of actors who were very committed and clearly did their research for their roles. Will Smith is probably the most unlike himself he's ever been here, having completely transformed in to this Nigerian doctor. The "truth" moment is particularly powerful and showcased just how deep in to this part Smith immersed himself.

I was very underwhelmed by the plot itself, it is quite a slow moving film as the entire situation is so straight forward that they were clearly trying to stretch out how little of a story they had as much as they could.

As well as that, it has no proper conclusion. I understand that this is exactly what happened in real life, but I would have liked a bit more closure. It finishes raising more questions than it had answered.

It is a film that can take you away solely on its performances. Well acted and directed, Concussion may leave you a little disappointed, but it is still worth the watch if you are looking for a good drama, just do not go out of your way to see it.

A Nigerian doctor discovers the truth behind the amount of brain damage that has occurred to major football players.

Best Performance: Will Smith

This film brings to the forefront an important message. It explores the ugly side of fame in football. The repercussions of a life of hard hitting playing.

Will Smith gives a wonderful performance as Dr. Omalu. One of his best in recent memory for sure. In fact the whole ensemble is strong. Occasionally Alec Baldwin drops his southern drawl and I found that jarring, occasionally taking me out of the story.

The soundtrack was also something that I found jarring on occasion. I felt the direction was smooth and flowed quite well and the movie doesn't seem as long as its 123 minute run time.

If you're a fan of the game of football then go see this.

Concussion tells the story of Dr. Ben Omalu and his struggle to bring to light the dangers of head trauma within the NFL. As his studies intensify, so do the attempts to silence and discredit him and those around him. The film starts with former Pittsburgh Steelers player, Mike Webster (David Morse) and his psychotic behavior that eventually leads to his untimely death at 50. When his autopsy is completed by Dr. Omalu (Will Smith), it is discovered that his days playing for the NFL may be directly responsible for his behavior. This is about as far as Concussion goes in regards to that storyline, the rest of the film goes downhill from here. The start of the film is promising, featuring David Morse as Mike Webster and giving an awesome performance under heavy prosthetics that, despite how obvious it is, gets the job done. Will Smith is a real stand out here as he should be. His performance as Ben Omalu is great and refreshing to see that Smith still has these types of performances left in him. If anything, Smith is getting better the older he gets. Alec Baldwin is another stand out here and correctly compliments Will Smith's thunderous performance. One of the disappointments of the film is Luke Wilson, not because his performance is bad or he is miscast, he's barely in it. It would have been nice to see more scenes with him. Now, the film itself is nowhere near the caliber of it's cast. Writer/Director Peter Landesman has a grasp of his actors but fails to elevate the source material above anything more than an average medical drama. The one thing that is almost overbearing is the music and the placement of the music. The score is ridiculously dramatic and epic sounding, so much so that you would think it is from a Ridley Scott action film. It just simply over the top. The pacing of the film is also a very hard thing to get passed, the beginning fires like a bullet and then the film slumps for the next hour and a half. It makes for a very lop sided, borderline boring film. Overall, Concussion demonstrates Will Smith in top form as is the rest of the cast but the film is too lop sided for it's own good.

Just watched this movie and blew my mind. The acting, the story line, together with science and drama, were perfect. Very inspiring movie, since is based on true case. Truth always come true, it is just a mere of time and this movie shows that by telling us what it is to be a pioneer and a messenger of truth. This is a must-see movie.

Also, I identified myself with main character. I immigrant doctor with so much respect and aspirations for the USA, that slowly discoveries the dark side of big corporation. In fact, this is not only America problem, it is human nature and can be find anywhere in this planet.

Finally, I think Will Smith should be nominated for best actor - Oscar. He pulled out a very good role in playing the Nigerian pathology doctor... wanna know more? go and watch the movie!

The story of Concussion is really interesting. It's mind-blowing that it's based on true events.

After hearing and reading lots of good comments about the movie, I genuinely expected a lot from this picture. Unfortunately, I was disappointed because the script was poorly written and the whole film's direction was a disaster. The script seems to be filled with shallow twists that had been seen in hundreds of other movies and that made the promising film look like another cheap Hollywood movie made for the masses. The story is greatly exploited here in this film as a bait for movie-goers.

However, the film was saved by the the story, and the decent acting of Will Smith. Undoubtedly, not all people knew the story beforehand, and I personally was eager to know more after the film. So in this sense the film was a success.

All in all, the film is not so fantastic as other reviews say. The film is clearly over-rated. However, the film is a good choice for those who want to spend some free time and just relax.

If anyone is a die hard NFL fan like me and follows the game and the sports world and the news, you know that over the years the league has been facing the problem of how to deal with player concussions and how to protect them better, and what to do when the players retire. The film "Concussion" deals with that on going drama just fine as it follows the research and work of one real life pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu(played in a tough strong performance manner from Will Smith). Set in Pittsburgh after the deaths of several star former Steeler players most notable that being hall of fame center Mike Webster(in a gritty performance from David Morse)who due to many hits to the head developed all kinds of problems like hearing voices, and loss of reality as he even had to live away from his family taking shelter in his own truck before falling to suicide by a head gunshot wound. The film is somewhat sad and emotional as you see the broken down players and hear the stories of their problems and passing. Dr. Omalu is one pathologist who's eager and willing to find out more and why and what drove these former players to young deaths by suicide, so thru his work he finds brain damage in these former players who suffered concussions and all would develop a new disease CTE. At first his medical news is doubted by others doctor's(played well by Alec Baldwin and Albert Brooks)yet they are slowly broken in to believe yet the challenge to face the NFL with the news is the toughest, as the film states you are going to war with a corporation that owns a day of the week even over the church and of course that's Sunday as the NFL has risen to sports entertainment that's at the top of the mountain. Finally Dr. Omalu's voice and discovery does get the league's attention and many former players and current ones take the issue to capital hill and congress. Overall "Concussion" is one film that's an emotional drama of discovery and it searches for the truth wanting answers to a new NFL problem that has expanded.

#Concussion has made me see what athletes go through from a different angle and I'm saying that as a man who didn't grow up a fan of American football. CONCUSSION is a compelling David Vs. Goliath story, it's a true great American story, and it's Will Smith's best performance since 2006's "The Pursuit Of Happiness" Written and directed by Peter Landesman, based on the GQ article "Game Brain," you've all seen the trailer for CONCUSSION which has Will Smith playing real life accomplished forensic neuropathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu, who discovered a disease called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) which a progressive degenerative disease found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma, and it's commonly found nowadays in pro-football player because they get repeated bows to the head every time they play, this is a heavy contact sport, as we all know.

So the film is about this immigrant doctor with high ethical standards and he truly loves America and yet the America he loves seems to be trying to shut him up because he's basically going up against the sport Americans live and breath for and one of the biggest most capitalistic organizations in the country. When you're messing with a giant business because you've discovered a truth about them that they don't like or a truth that might hurt their profit-making, you're bound to get bullied by the giant.

I had my worries at first, I thought Will Smith's attempt on Nigerian accent may distract or it may make him into a caricature instead of an embodiment but fortunately, that's not what happened. Will Smith's performance in this film really burns with convictions, he will have you take his side in a heartbeat. There's a bit of "A Few Good Men" 'tell me the truth you can't handle the truth' sorta moment mixed with Denzel Washington's 'love's gonna bust me out' moment in "Hurricane" so it's clear that over the years, Will has learned from his fellow masters and honed his skills or his artistry to perfection. Somebody told me once that Will is a big fan of the Philadelphia Eagles team, so it's interesting to see him play the role of a man who takes on the NFL.

The film itself is set in a way that makes you feel like you're going on an uphill battle. I think writer/director Peter Landesman approached it in a way that doesn't demonize American football, but sheds a light on the truth about it, just like what the real Dr. Omalu did. It is also a story about immigrants, a fact which sadly a lot of Americans today seem to forget, that we are a nation of immigrants.

CONCUSSION will surely give rise to discussions not just among NFL players and team owners but also among audiences and football fans. But will the discussion only last a dinner table's length and then be forgotten once Sunday game comes around again? I read up after watching the movie and found that the NFL still makes excuses in admitting the impact CTE has on their players. They've done settlements, they've paid millions of dollars to families, they've changed some things about the way the game is played but keep in mind that this is a big money-making business, so when money is at stake, unfortunately human lives get negotiated over.

The way the NFL handles this reminds me of how right wing politicians try to repudiate climate change, by hiring their own scientists, some of whom may not even be experts on the field study, because those politicians have been bought by fossil fuel businesses. So point being, change in America can happen but it does not happen overnight, it's a slow and painful process as long as there's money involved.

I can never understand sports like boxing where people hit each other so savagely that it deforms you. You can add American football to that list. I know these are very popular sports but my personal opinion is that it is somewhat sad to see men hit each other to claim victory. I used to actually wonder 'don't skulls crack when big men bang into each other with such animal ferocity?' And boy was I glad to see a movie on the same thought.

Concussion is a true story about a Nigerian pathologist who discovers CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy ) in American footballers. CTE is a phenomenon where long term effects of smashing into each other makes brains go mush. Dr. Bennet Omalu, played by the talented Will Smith, is this principled, humane pathologist who with his determination found out how degenerative the sport is for players. The NFL apparently opposed this view because obviously it means loss of business. As one dialogue in the movie goes 'Imagine if even one percent of mothers forbid their kids to not take up football – you know what it would do to the sport? It would be dead before you know it.'

The movie shows how cruel the world is when profits and a business model is threatened. How far a conglomerate will go to protect itself. It shows why some humans go down in history – for their principles, for their determination to lead and fight the world to go forward in what they believe in. The movie is more than anything, a movie about human psychology which is what made it so interesting.

The performances were really good – especially Will Smith (though he did lose his accent a few times). After a few sci-fi roles, he is solid with a more than realistic portrayal of Dr. Omalu. Alec Baldwin, as his partner in 'crime' gives a serious, thoughtful performances as well. The movie at times is extremely slow which was my only grouse. But overall, a tightly edited and directed film.