Concussion - C

Rated PG-13, 123 minutes

Will Smith

Many football games, especially NFL pro football games, are often won in the 4th quarter. The well-acted but bland new sports drama "Concussion," directed and directed by "Parkland's" Peter Landesman and based on a GQ magazine article "Game Brain" by Jeanne Marie Laskas, is a little disappointing: it starts out well as a compelling investigation but falters in its last act, its relevancy feeling a little muted by taking too many safe routes that go nowhere instead of the "Hail Mary" that could make it a true winner. While conducting an autopsy on former Pittsburgh Steelers legend Mike Webster (David Morse), forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) discovers neurological deterioration that is similar to Alzheimer's disease. Omalu names the disorder chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and publishes his findings in a medical journal. As he becomes crusader for football injuries, he becomes an enemy of the NFL, who attempts to disparage him. Dr. Omalu's underdog story of going up against a behemoth like the NFL is a worthy one to be told, but "Concussion" skims too many details and looks like it ran right past the end zone, no doubt due to an inexperienced director and writer such as Landesman, in only his second feature film as director. Smith's earnest portrayal and solid (but not perfect) handling of Dr. Omalu's African accent highlight the film that starts out a fascinating portrait of football injuries gone way wrong with Webster's death then peters out by the end, instead focusing on his personal life and his friendships with former Steelers team doctor Julian Bailes (Alec Baldwin) or Cyril Wecht (Albert Brooks, charming but miscast) that have little bearing on the story at hand. Once Dr. Omalu's CTE findings are published, the narrative is hampered by these unnecessary breaks that are mostly just filler, making the film feel longer than a football field. A little bored, I found my mind wandering of such things as seeing if Smith's accent breaks - it does slightly on a couple of occasions - to staring at the horribly fake bald cap that Brooks wears (it's so unsightly you can't help but stare at it) and to wandering how Luke Wilson is so miscast and wasted as red-haired Goodell in a surprisingly tiny role. I could forgive for these flaws if "Concussion" actually took a real stand on the issue and force the NFL's hand for full disclosure, responsibility and more money devoted to it, instead it peters out by focusing on something far less controversial, Dr. Omalu's career, family and citizenship. Instead of going for the win, "Concussion" settles for a tie.