Too soon, there's still more story to be told

Rating: 6/10 (27 April 2020)

Concussion is a film about one of the doctors who officially reported on the damaging effects that playing football can have on the human brain. It is a truly fascinating topic, even for someone like myself who is a big fan of the sport. Yes, I can enjoy being a spectator while still recognizing that it is probably a horribly unsafe thing for people to do with their bodies. Somewhat early on, this film has a great visual illustration to show the dangers of playing decades of football on the human mind, and I don't know if it ever gets as compelling as that one moment. Will Smith does his best to play Dr. Bennet Omalu, although the character is a bit understated and measured. While he has moments of passion, his personality isn't as bold as I'd like for the lead in this kind of biopic. I wish Albert Brooks and Alec Baldwin were in the film a bit more because their interactions with Smith were some of the most exciting scenes in the film. I've never been a huge fan of biopics, but there's one big reason that I think this one is a bit underwhelming...
A podcaster I know said it best: "The biggest problem with Concussion is that the whole story hasn't been written yet." There is so much more that will probably change in the coming years as the NFL is forced to continue exploring the best route to player safety, and as more truth is revealed from those who were in the inner circle of the league. Don't get me wrong, it's not that there is no value in exploring Dr. Omalu's part in putting a name on CTE, or publishing his findings so that it would come to the attention of the national media. The problem is, he is not the most important player in this whole thing. The film tried to make it small by focusing on his story, but it's really a massive tale of corruption and greed that has infected an entire sport. I didn't even like how Concussion addressed the dangerous push-back Omalu received. It seemed like minor annoyances with the occasional threat, then all of the sudden it cranks up to a devastating level with little warning. I don't want to totally discredit Concussion, because it tells a relevant story that some people may need to see, but I simply feel it isn't as effective as it could be, or perhaps will be in the future.