Concussion earns Will Smith a Golden Globe nod

Movie Title:    Concussion

Grade:  A-

Rating:  PG-13

In a Nutshell:    Will Smith rightly deserves the Golden Globe nomination he earned from his role in this “David vs. Goliath” story.  His Nigerian accent is great and his depth of emotion superb.

This is not the typical underdog football story.   It’s based on the true story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, who tried to go head on with the National Football League when he discovered a medical link to brain damage and playing football.

The end of the movie mentions Junior Seau’s recent suicide.  I remember how traumatic that announcement was because Seau and his foundation had just given one of my sons a college scholarship.  We were heartbroken to hear the news.  I remember being shocked and wondered how someone who seemed to have everything would choose to end his life.  Now I understand a little better.  This film presents important information and does it in a very tasteful, interesting way.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Need is not weak.” – Dr. Bennet Omalu  (Will Smith)
• “You have to be the best version of yourself.  If you don’t know what that is, you pick something and fake it.” –  Dr. Omalu
• “If you know, you must come forth and speak.” – Prema Mutiso (Gugu Mbatha-Raw)
• “When you have truth, the thing you are told you cannot do is the thing you must do.  Embrace that and nothing created by man can bring you down.” – Prema
• “The gift of knowledge is a great gift, a dangerous gift.” – Dr. Omalu
• Guilt, integrity, honor, respect

Things I liked:

•  I loved the imagery and use of hands throughout the entire movie.
•  Alec Baldwin makes me laugh, even when he’s in a dramatic role.
• I always appreciate it at the end of movies when they tell you what has happened after the movie left off.  The statistics presented are sobering.
• I thought it did a good job being sensitive to all the football fans out there.
• Albert Brooks was made to look like a balding, older man.  Young fans will recognize his voice from the huge Pixar hit “Finding Nemo.”  They’ll be happy to know that he still has a full head of hair.  He provides some much needed humor to this cautionary tale.
• I appreciated the respectful discussion about religion vs. science.
• Paul Reiser and Luke Wilson play roles, although small ones in the film.

Things I didn’t like:

•  You will see a lot of football collisions and crunches.
• Fans hoping to see a lot of football action will be disappointed. 
• It’s tough to say who the target audience is for this film and who will or can take action after seeing it.

Funny lines:

•  “I had quite a revelation tonight.  This body was made for dancing.  When they say dancing machine, I am what they mean.” – Dr. Omalu

Interesting lines:

• “All we have to do is finish the game.  If we finish, we win.” – Mike Webster (David Morse)
• “I am not interested in common sense.  I’m interested in science.  Science is knowing.” – Dr. Joseph Maroon  (Arliss Howard)
• “The NFL owns a day of the week.” –  Dr. Cyril Wecht (Albert Brooks)
• “Everyone has been in the dark and you have turned on the light and given this Boogeyman a name.” – Dr. Julian Bailes  (Alec Baldwin)
• “Tell the truth.  Tell the truth!” – Dr. Omalu
• “There is no coincidence in this world.” – Prema
• “If you don’t speak for the dead, who will?” – Prema
• “You know, it is a mindless, violent game…and then it’s Shakespeare. I mean, to me, it’s like life that way.  I know you can’t see how exciting and beautiful all that is and I don’t blame you.” –  Dr. Bailes

Tips for parents:   

• There is some profanity.
• This is a serious, slow-moving “talking” movie that may bore young children.
• Discussion of suicide and miscarriage.

Black November given limited US release and now on DVD

 Movie:  Black November

Unrated, limited movie release in 2015, now on DVD

1 hour 36 minutes

Grade: C+

In a Nutshell:   Most Americans don’t know anything about Nigeria, other than the occasional spam email from a supposed Nigerian prince claiming to give money for help transferring funds through their bank.  The film is a collaboration between Hollywood and “Nollywood” that attempts to introduce viewers to the violence, corruption, poverty, and heartbreak that results from Big Oil and an oppressive military government in Nigeria.

While this preachy thriller is certainly a passionate plea for help, most audiences won’t know what to do with what they’ve just seen.

Uplifting Theme:

·         One voice matters.

Things I liked:

·         It was fascinating to take a peek inside Nigeria and “meet” the Nigerian people who struggle in so many ways.

·         I loved hearing the Nigerian people sing.

·         I often wonder “where are they now?” about certain actors.  Well, some of them show up in bit parts in this movie: Anne Heche, Vivica Fox, Kim Basinger.  The Walking Dead: Season 1 fans will be happy to see Sarah Wayne Callies.  Music stars Wyclef Jean and Akon even appear, with Akon also being named as executive producer of the film.

Things I didn’t like:

·         Despite Hollywood’s contributions to the film, the overall effect is an amateur feel.  For example, you can see the glare from the camera lens on occasion, as well as microphone packs underneath some of the actors’ clothes.

·         Some of the American Extras in the cast were terrible, although most of the Nigerian Extras were terrific.

·         The CGI explosions looked super fake.

·         I wish Mickey Rourke would shampoo his hair.  Then again, maybe that was Nigerian Director Jeta Amata’s way of telling us his character was a greasy slimeball. Of course, Jeta Amata didn’t have anything to do with Mickey Rourke’s botched face lift.

·         Some of the cheesy background songs didn’t match the style of the movie.  Inspiring Nigerian music would have been so much better.

·         The story features Ebiere, played by Mbong Amata, whose face doesn’t even appear on the movie poster and who is listed WAY down the list of cast members on several web sites.

·         It feels like writer Jeta Amata watched old American movies and political speeches to get ideas for his script.  Cliched lines like “Give peace a chance” sound more rhetorical than authentic.

Lame lines:

·         “We should have seen this coming.” – Angela

·         “I am not blaming you for my government.  I am blaming you for you.” – Nigerian rebel

Facts about Nigeria that are introduced in the movie:

·         1 out of every 5 Americans uses Nigerian oil.

·         Nigeria is the #5 top oil producers in the world.

·         Life expectancy in Nigeria: 47

·         Nigerians live off of $4 or less a day.

·         Nigeria has the 7^th largest population in the world.

Tips for Parents:

·         This is not a pleasant movie for anyone to watch, especially not children.  There is a rape scene, and plenty of brutality, including setting people on fire, women being beaten and a hanging.

Two better movies that show the plight of African people are: