Concussed

Rating: Null/10 (21 February 2016)

Based on the true story of how a Nigerian-born pathologist persisted in exposing the long term health dangers of head injuries in football, 'Concussion' tells a fascinating slice of recent history. The negative effects of multiple concussions were apparently known to the NFL for years, but covered up by those promoting the sport, and the movie succeeds best when exploring this conspiracy and the difficulty of tackling a large organisation with high-up connections. The film is, however, only partially about this with at least half the screen time dedicated to the pathologist's personal life, which is nowhere near as engaging. There is something acute in how our protagonist, played by Will Smith, gradually learns to integrate into society at the same time so many NFL players start to slip out, but the filmmakers never make much of this irony and Smith learning to dance at a night club or gradually romancing a Kenyan woman forced into his company simply does not make for good viewing. Smith plays quite a conceited and arrogant character too, boasting about his many achievements from the very first scene and second-guessing the prejudices of others (accusing others of regarding him as a "voodoo doctor"). Accent aside, Smith is not very remarkable either for all the controversy over his failure to secure an Oscar nomination. David Morse is, however, very, very good as the first NFL player in the film to lose his mind and Matthew Willig is excellent too. Whatever the case, the film certainly ends on a strong note with an absolutely haunting final shot.