Category Archives: Contemporary

For many today, the observation that “football causes concussions” is such an intuitive proposition that it borders on the redundant. The precise link between professional football and severe neurological damage, however, hadn’t been identified until recently – via a controversial series of events that sparked multimillion-dollar litigation.

Inspired by an outstanding GQ article, “Concussion” recounts the story of Dr. Bennet Omalu’s discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), an neurodegenerative condition found in NFL players as a result of repeated blows to the head. Notably, CTE cannot be diagnosed via a standard MRI or CT scan, but requires actual samples of brain tissue in order for pathologists to detect the buildup of toxic substances. Naturally, Omalu’s theory – suggesting that football is an inherently hazardous activity – instantly places him at odds with the powerful NFL corporation, which does everything in its power to bury Omalu’s findings.

The greatest strength of “Concussion” is its outstanding cast. Will Smith turns in an exceptional starring performance as Omalu (his Nigerian accent is remarkable). Similarly, Alec Baldwin, playing against type as a retired NFL team doctor who assists Omalu, turns in a strong supporting performance.

That said, “Concussion” can’t quite decide whether it wants to be a biopic (a la “A Beautiful Mind”) or a historical/cultural thriller (a la “Spotlight”). The first half of the film meanders through Omalu’s initial discovery of the CTE phenomenon, drifting periodically into an unnecessary romantic subplot, before the NFL starts pushing back and things kick into high gear. Where the primary thrust of the story – the concussion scandal – is concerned, at least 45 minutes (and probably closer to 60) could’ve be trimmed altogether.

Perhaps the movie’s most unfortunate flaw, however, is its persistent unwillingness to embrace the nitty-gritty details of its own narrative. The camera cuts away from depicting any of Omalu’s actual autopsies. The movie embraces mushy “sciencey” vocabulary over actual medical terminology. Characters gloss over the legal and journalistic sparring surrounding Omalu’s research. The really uncomfortable question at the core of the story – whether the NFL’s millions of rabid fans, who crave ever more action and brutality in the game, are morally complicit in the deaths of players – isn’t probed. Audiences aren’t as dumb as the producers of “Concussion” appear to believe (the highly technical “Moneyball” and various Christopher Nolan movies have minted money at the box office), and the story of Omalu’s work is incredibly interesting (not to mention culturally topical, morally murky, and intellectually challenging). In prioritizing maximum accessibility over Sorkinesque panache, “Concussion” renders itself more forgettable than provocative.

(As an aside, “Concussion” offers no affirmative proposals for reform or alternatives to the current football dynamic. The film is a message movie through and through, but isn’t bold enough to say anything more interesting than “football is dangerous.”)

In short, “Concussion” is worth waiting to see on Netflix or Redbox (if only for Will Smith’s performance) but represents a significant missed opportunity to tell its disquieting story. Against other awards-season fare like “Spotlight,” “Concussion” can’t measure up.

VERDICT: 6/10
A frustratingly uneven film that doesn’t quite deliver on its fascinating premise.

Normalized Score: 1.6

Journalists – particularly those covering highly sensitive events – are often the targets of well-deserved critique (consider, for instance, the grotesque spectacle of the past week that witnessed live news crews rooting through the apartment of deceased mass shooters). Yet often it is journalists who do the legwork required to properly expose hidden evil to public scrutiny, igniting the sparks of major change. “Spotlight” is the story of one such exposure: namely, the revelation that the Catholic Church had systematically ignored complaints of sexual abuse by Massachusetts priests.

Following the grim revelation that one priest molested dozens of children after being shuffled from parish to parish, the investigative staff of the Boston Globe (played by an ensemble cast including Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, John Slattery, and Liev Schreiber) go to work – ultimately uncovering a pattern of cover-ups reaching to the very highest levels of the diocese. It’s a meticulous investigation for which the staff received a Pulitzer Prize, and one that severely shook the institutional Catholic Church.

“Spotlight” does full justice to its gripping subject matter. A slow, somewhat unfocused start gives way to an utterly riveting second half, building to a peak of intensity far more engrossing than most top-dollar blockbusters. And make no mistake: this film is searing in all the ways it must necessarily be. “Spotlight” pummels the viewer with unwhitewashed depictions of abuse victims’ anguish, systemic corruption, and the wrenching consequences of such an exposé on individuals’ faith in religious institutions. It’s never graphic, but still devastates.

“Spotlight” is not perfect; most notably, it lacks some of the thematic nuance its story demands. Significant “gray” moral issues – like the ever-present temptation to sensationalize human pain through journalism, as well as the rationale for the Catholic Church’s celibacy requirement for priests – are handwaved away. And though, to its credit, “Spotlight” stresses the hard work of vetting sources and obtaining corroboration of facts (unlike the recent “Truth”), it seems to adopt a casual disdain for legal ethics: those who properly refuse to compromise their ethical duties to maintain client confidentiality are tarred as “shills” and co-conspirators in the grand scheme of abuse.

That being said, the story of conflicting lawyerly duties is not the story being told here. This is, first and foremost, a drama about how to do journalism in a way that serves the public good. In that light, “Spotlight” is at once both an inspiring and emotionally harrowing experience, one that never strays into the bombastic or gratuitous. Highly recommended (and undoubtedly a serious Oscar contender).

VERDICT: 9/10
A riveting, large-scale drama that manages to be more than merely aesthetic: it is important.

Normalized Score: 7.9