Concussion (2015) [PG-13] ****

A film review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net on Dec. 24, 2015.

Regarding a concussion as a serious brain injury is a relatively recent phenomenon. For many years, getting your bell rung (as the expression goes) was something people were expected to shrug off. For sports, the fix was to take a couple of aspirin and get back on the field. This attitude led to a whole generation of football players who, long after their gladiatorial days were over, developed symptoms of what would become known as CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy). When Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) discovered CTE while performing an autopsy on former Pittsburgh Steelers’ center Mike Webster (David Morse), his findings rocked the sports world. Only after many years of Big Tobacco-like denials was the NFL forced to acknowledge the dangers of concussions and implement protocols to address (however imperfectly) the associated health issues. The problem is fundamental: as long as there is football, there will be concussions and as long as there are concussions, the danger of CTE lurks.

Concussion doesn’t have an answer to this conundrum. Over the course of about two hours, Omalu identifies the disease and its root cause but, short of banning football (something that will never happen), there isn’t a solution. In a recent New York Times op-ed, the real-life Omalu stated that he doesn’t believe anyone under 18 should be permitted to play high-impact contact sports. To the extent that the film, directed by Peter Landesman after having been helped to the screen by Ridley Scott, explores the research that has led Omalu to take this extreme position, it’s a fascinating and compelling piece of drama. Concussion’s problems, however, lie in its unwillingness to follow Spotlight’s approach and focus on the procedural aspects of the story. Inferior, extraneous elements - Omalu’s romance with his eventual wife, Prema (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and a rivalry with a fellow pathologist - clog up the narrative and reduce the movie to a generic man-against-the-system struggle.

Will Smith gives his all in a role that requires him to undergo a subtle physical transformation, adopt a credible Nigerian accent, and provide a controlled, modulated performance. It’s an effective portrayal although whether it’s Oscar-worthy has yet to be determined. There’s also subtle irony at work here. Next to football, the sport with the highest incidence of CTE is boxing and, in a previous part, Smith played one of the world’s best known champions of that sport, Mohammed Ali.

Although this is primarily a one-man show, some familiar names show up to provide Smith with solid support. Albert Brooks, as Dr. Cyril Wecht, and Alec Baldwin, as Dr. Julian Bailes, play the two doctors who stand side-by-side with Omalu and absorb some of the missiles flung at him. Although David Morse, playing the CTE-impaired Webster, doesn’t have a large amount of screen time, his performance illustrates the effects of CTE. The only obvious miscasting is Luke Wilson as Roger Goodell. Wilson looks nothing like the NFL commissioner and his portrayal is flat.

Concussion’s dramatic core is solid and its unwillingness to sugarcoat the NFL’s tactics is likely to raise some eyebrows. When it comes to how the league employed a campaign of disinformation, bullying, and obfuscation to protect their product at the cost of human lives and health, they’re not much different from big tobacco, asbestos companies, or even big Pharma (G.D. Searle's efforts to get aspartame approved by the FDA come to mind). Concussion argues that it wasn’t just a case of the NFL sticking its head in the sand but that it actively worked against Omalu, demonizing his efforts and defaming him.

When Concussion stays on point, it’s as riveting as any movie about a crusader taking on a massive, corrupt organization. But Concussion has about 15 minutes of material that appears to have been fused into the script in a failed attempt to make the lead character more human. Had these scenes been better written, they might have worked but they feel like they were co-opted from a made-for-TV biopic. They distract rather than enhance. On balance, however, Concussion is to be congratulated. Landesman appears not to have been intimidated by the Teflon giant he’s targeting and the movie makes valid points about how corporate greed will always trump the concern for people’s safety and well-being. Concussion isn’t always brilliant but it’s compelling enough that the lesser scenes are easily ignored. [Berardinelli’s rating: 3 out of 4 stars]

Labels: biography, drama, football, sport

IMDb 72/100 

MetaScore (critics=55, viewers=62) 

RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=61, viewers=76) 

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Draft Day (2014) [R] ****

A film review by James Berardinelli, for ReelViews.net, on April 10, 2014.

Draft Day is a sports movie that's almost entirely about the business of sports as opposed to what transpires on the field. This isn't the first film to make that claim - Jerry Maguire and Moneyball were more about the goings-on in the front office - but it is arguably the most focused. The film looks at the 12-hour span immediately preceding the NFL draft, taking us into the back rooms of several franchises and exposing their moves and motives from a strategic perspective. The owners and GMs are like generals and they all have their battle plans. The material is compelling although there's little doubt it has been dumbed-down and sanitized for universal consumption. There's also a sense that this is little more than a 110-minute commercial for the NFL, going beyond product placement to lionization. Nevertheless, it's hard to imagine anyone who isn't a football geek (or a rabid fantasy football player) caring much about Draft Day even though, when one looks deeply enough, this is as much about the personalities of the characters as it is about the trades they're involved in.

Kevin Costner, who has been on the comeback trail of late, plays Cleveland Browns GM Sonny Weaver Jr. This is his third year on the job and his tenure thus far has been rocky. His dad, a Browns legend, died only a week ago and he's trying to keep his personal feelings at bay while preparing for the draft. Meanwhile, his girlfriend and co-worker, Ali (Jennifer Garner), informs him that she's pregnant. Adding to the pressure is the fact that the team owner, Anthony Molina (Frank Langella), wants to make a big splash. The guy Sonny wants to draft, Vontae Mack (Chadwick Boseman), may be a difference-maker on defense but he won't sell tickets. Then along comes opportunity. The Seattle Seahawks own the #1 overall pick that would presumably be used to snare can't-miss prospect Bo Callahan (Josh Pence). They're willing to make a trade at the right price. That turns out to be a king's ransom - three consecutive #1 picks - a cost that infuriates Browns' head coach, Vince Penn (Denis Leary). But, under pressure from all sides, Sonny makes the deal… then spends the next 8 hours wondering if he did the right thing and trying to figure out if there's another move he can make.

Costner, who has never been the most emotive of actors, is perfect for this role. His portrayal of Sonny expresses what one might expect from an NFL GM. Professionally, he's driven to win and willing to take risks that might seem insane. Personally, he fumbles the ball with alarming frequency. His relationship with Ali is a perfect example. He obviously loves her but he can't find the words to express his feelings. Jennifer Garner is strong and it's nice to see that the character functions as more than a stereotypical love interest. Other notable actors with supporting performances include Denis Leary as Coach Penn, Ellen Burstyn as Sonny's mother, Frank Langella as the publicity-loving owner, Chadwick Boseman as the star linebacker, and Josh Pence as the can't-miss prospect.

The director is Ivan Reitman who, throughout his career, has become synonymous with comedies. This is the man who was behind the cameras for Meatballs, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Twins, and Kindergarten Cop. Reitman hasn't done much in the past decade and now he has emerged with a film so unlike anything he's done before that only the credits verify his association with the project. This isn't a comedy/drama, it's a straight drama. Humorous moments are downplayed. There are some in-jokes, like Sean Combs playing a smarmy agent, but nothing is overt. Still, there's a soft edge to everything that makes one wonder whether the film would have seemed more substantive with a hard-hitting filmmaker in the director's chair. The predictability of the narrative is also disappointing; Draft Day is devoid of true surprises. One can map out what's going to happen based on which supporting characters get screen time.

Without an insider's perspective, it's impossible to say how closely the events depicted in Draft Day replicate what really goes on. The sense of verisimilitude is strong but there's also a feeling that things have been greatly simplified. Nothing on-screen comes close to sullying the NFL's reputation and that calls into question how much influence the league had over what appears in the movie. Fair and balanced is, after all, in the eye of the beholder.

The bottom-line question is whether the drama inherent in the narrative overcomes the odious, relentless NFL cheerleading. At times, it's a tough call but, on balance, the story wins out. Sonny is an interesting character and the adroit way he eventually manipulates his situation generates the urge to stand up and cheer. Reitman's take on the business of sports at least encourages us to think twice before calling a GM an idiot. Then again, maybe not… [Berardinelli’s rating: 3 out of 4]

Labels: drama, football

Internet Movie Database

Metacritic 54/100

RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=59, viewers=72)

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Touchback (2011) [PG-13] ****

A film review by Joe Leydon for Variety, April 15, 2012.

Synopsis:

Writer-director Don Handfield fails to score with Touchback, a lightweight and overlong feel-good drama that plays like a mash-up of It’s a Wonderful Life and Friday Night Lights. Indeed, this handsomely produced but ponderously uplifting trifle should be flagged for excessive schmaltz and offensive illogic. Some viewers, particularly football fans, may be intrigued by the plot, which pivots on the miraculous second chance given to a former high-school quarterback 20 years after a knee injury shattered his dreams of gridiron glory. Even so, the film isn’t likely to fill many theatrical stadiums before it’s sidelined to home video.

Full review:

Top-billed Brian Presley plays Scott Murphy, a small-town farmer struggling to support his wife, Macy (Melanie Lynskey) and their two young daughters. Back in 1991, he was poised to leave the tiny community of Coldwater, Ohio, with dreams of achieving fame as a collegiate and NFL quarterback, until he sustained a career-ending injury during the final seconds of a high-school championship game.

Two decades and several more crushing disappointments later, Scott is driven to despair by the possibility of losing his farm to bank foreclosure. But when he attempts suicide, he awakens to find he has become… well, judging from his appearance, the world’s oldest high-school student.

Scott has been inexplicably blasted back to the past — not unlike the protagonists of Mr. Destiny, Peggy Sue Got Married, 17 Again and countless other time-tripping fantasies — and afforded the opportunity to relive the week leading up to the fateful high-school championship game.

Naturally, he doesn’t want to suffer the consequences of a not-so-instant replay. But even as he contemplates drastic action to alter his destiny, he finds himself gravitating away from his vivacious high-school flame (Sarah Wright) and toward the less sexy but more appealing Macy.

Unfortunately, the 1991 version of Macy is a semi-nerdy band member who doesn’t care much for macho jocks like Scott. Even more unfortunately, in the world according to Touchback, changing your destiny for the better in one area means, for reasons never fully explained or plausibly dramatized, you can’t hold on to anything (or anyone) you treasured in the life you were supposed to live.

Touchback is not, strictly speaking, a faith-based film; none of the characters ever refers to God, faith or the possibility of divine intervention. But there’s an oppressively preachy quality to the many scenes in which Scott is criticized for his failure to enjoy the simple joys of small-town life. The football coach played by Kurt Russell (who gives the film much more than it ever gives him) bluntly says at one point, this little town really is special, for the benefit of anyone who misses the dozen or so other homilies in the dialogue.

In short, Touchback is yet another example of cinema as inspirational comfort food, part of a vast subgenre of films that encourage audiences to be happy with their lives, disappointments and all. The only significantly distinguishing aspect of this particular scenario is that it teases us with the possibility that Scott will deliberately choose to place himself in harm’s way so he won’t risk losing someone who probably could have been wooed and won some other way.

The final scenes crib shamelessly from It’s a Wonderful Life, which only serves to enhance the film’s overall sense of been-there-seen-that predictability. In fact, the affecting sincerity of Christine Lahti’s performance as Scott’s mother is the only thing in the film that could be described as in any way unexpected, though even she gets to dispense some of the platitudes that make up the largest portion of the film’s playbook.

Labels: drama, family, fantasy, football

Internet Movie Database 

Metacritic 56/100 

RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=58, viewers=72) 

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The Blind Side (2009) [PG-13] ****

Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) is the strong-willed wife of a wealthy Memphis, Tennessee fast-food franchisee Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw). Through accident or divine grace, she crosses life paths with Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) a homeless boy of lower-than-average IQ, who grew up in the rough, dangerous world of the Memphis projects, was abandoned by his drug-addicted mother, and repeatedly ran away from foster homes.

Due to his athletic abilities, Michael has been provisionally accepted at the upscale private school attended by the two Tuohy children SJ (Jae Head) and Collins (Lily Collins), but his life changes for the better when Leigh Anne offers him shelter from the freezing rain, and a temporary place to sleep for the night. Considered academically hopeless by many of his teachers, Michael displays an off-the-charts ability in one area – protective instincts – and building on this ability, Leigh Anne shows Michael and his football coach (Ray McKinnon) how Michael can be successful on the gridiron. Although he's not sure what he wants to do with his life, Michael goes on to succeed at Ole Miss in college football as a left tackle, protecting his quarterback's blind side, and he is subsequently drafted by the NFL Baltimore Ravens.

This is a heart-warming, family-oriented story about overcoming obstacles. It's really about the relationship between Leigh Anne Tuohy and Michael Oher, and how they change each other's lives. Both Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron give fine performances, although I think it's a stretch to consider Sandra Bullock's performance an Oscar winner. Young Jae Head is sympathetic and amusing in a supporting role as the youthful SJ Tuohy. The Blind Side was written and directed by John Lee Hancock from a book by Michael Lewis. Hancock directed The Rookie, which starred Dennis Quaid and Rachel Griffiths, and which critics agree is a much better film about having a dream and overcoming obstacles. If you enjoyed The Rookie and if you like uplifting, football-oriented stories like Remember the Titans, Radio or Friday Night Lights, then you won't want to miss The Blind Side. 

Labels: biography, drama, football
Internet Movie Database
Metacritic 53/100
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=61, viewers=82)
Blu-ray
Wikipedia - Michael Oher

Leatherheads (2008) [PG-13] ***

It's 1925 and Jimmy Dodge Connelly (George Clooney) is the star player for the Duluth Bulldogs, a professional football team in what is laughingly called a league. The Bulldogs are comprised of a ragtag group of men who never grew up and are trying to avoid having to work at real jobs, like miners, machinists or steelworkers. Sponsored by a local business, the Bulldogs can only afford one football, and when that one is stolen, they have to forfeit the game. And when they learn that their next scheduled opponent, Milwaukee, has gone bankrupt, and their own team is broke, Dodge, in desperation, approaches wealthy businessman CC Frazier (Jonathan Pryce), with an idea. If they can offer Princeton University football star and war hero Carter Bullet Rutherford (John Krasinski) enough money to play for the Bulldogs, they could build a fan base, make money and create a real pro football league.

Since Frazier already sponsors Carter to sell his consumer products, he likes Dodge's idea and decides to back the team. At the same time, Lexie Littleton (Renee Zellweger), intrepid reporter for a Chicago newspaper, is tapped by her editor to get the real story on Carter Rutherford; he has a reliable source that swears Carter didn't actually get a platoon of German soldiers to surrender single-handedly. Lexie gets the real story, but what will happen to Carter, the Duluth Bulldogs, and the new pro league if she publishes it?

While this period piece boasts A-list stars and great production values, and while it certainly will be appreciated by pro football history buffs, there isn't enough material here for a film, and the screenplay is padded with some fairly boring filler including a fistfight between Dodge and Carter. The Clooney-Zellweger romance doesn't really click; there's not much chemistry between the two, and Krasinski's character is barely two-dimensional. Fans of Clooney, Zellweger and Krasinski should enjoy this, others may want to pass. 

Labels: comedy, drama, football, romance
Internet Movie Database
Metacritic 56/100
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=58, viewers=60)
Blu-ray

Invincible (2006) [PG] ****

Set in Philadelphia in 1976, Invincible is the uplifting, heart-warming story of Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg), a 30-year-old substitute teacher and part-time bartender whose life spirals downward after he loses his summer school teaching position, and his wife of five years leaves him, taking all the furniture with her. All Vince has left is his group of neighborhood pals, with whom he plays rough-and-tumble touch football, and his bartending job for his pal Max (Michael Rispoli).

Then the desperate Philadelphia Eagles football team, on a downward spiral of its own, hires UCLA football coach Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear) as the new head coach, and in a publicity stunt Vermeil stages an open tryout one summer Saturday morning. Along with hundreds of other hopefuls, Vince shows up and, against all odds, he gets invited to training camp, and with it, a shot at making the team. At the same time Max hires his niece Janet (Elizabeth Banks), and while both Vince and Janet have recently been scarred by love, and seem unwilling to take a chance, a tentative romance does blossom between them. During training camp, Vince endures the resentment of teammates with collegiate and professional football experience. However, he's a player with whom the football fans of South Philadelphia can relate, and he ends up raising the spirits of a city depressed by a losing football team as well as by factory closures and rising unemployment. 

While the story is formulaic, the dialogue is clichéd, and the soundtrack of ‘70s tunes is completely forgettable, we find ourselves cheering for Vince, mainly because of Mark Wahlberg’s ability to create a likable, intensely hardworking character.

Although the film implies that Vince had no football experience after high school, the truth is that he played on the Aston Green Knights of the semi-pro Seaboard Football League, and following that he played two seasons for the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League as a wide receiver, as well as a standout on the special teams. It was his performance with the Philadelphia Bell that earned Vince an invitation to a private workout held by Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Dick Vermeil in 1976 and, following that, an invitation to join the team.

Regardless of the artistic license taken by screenwriter Brad Gann with Vince Papele’s life and career, if you enjoy uplifting sports stories, films like The Blind Side, Miracle, Remember the Titans and The Rookie, you won’t want to miss Invincible. 

Labels: biography, drama, football
Internet Movie Database
Metacritic 63/100
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=64, viewers=72)
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Wikipedia: Vince Papale  
Facebook: Vince Papale  

Jerry Maguire (1996) [R] ****

A film review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net.

Every time I think Hollywood has slipped beyond redemption, someone in the system produces a film like Jerry Maguire that renews my faith. Apparently, creativity is not dead in the mainstream movie market -- not entirely, at least. This is the kind of movie that reminds me why I started reviewing in the first place. Jerry Maguire is magic on celluloid -- fresh, funny, romantic, and upbeat. You'll leave the theater with a smile on your face and perhaps a tear in your eye.

Personally, I never really bought Tom Cruise as the action lead in Mission Impossible. Here, however, the actor is playing to his strength, which lies in an arena that demands less testosterone. Leave the stunts and explosions to Schwarzenegger and Stallone. Cruise is best when he stays low key and flashes the occasional smile. And, in this picture, surrounded by a superlative supporting cast, his ability shines. Jerry Maguire works because we root for the title character, and it's Cruise's performance that forges the link between his screen personae and the audience.

As the movie opens, super sports agent Jerry Maguire is facing a crisis of conscience (that he still possesses one after working in such a cynical, materialistic business is something of a miracle). He wonders what he has become -- Just another shark in a suit? He realizes that he hates himself and his place in the world, and laments that, although he has a lot to say, no one will listen. So, late one night, he writes a Mission Statement called The Things We Think and Do Not Say: The Future of Our Business. The essay attacks the sports agency business, advocating a more humane approach. The next day, a copy is distributed to everyone in the office. And, although Jerry's co-workers applaud his courage (Somebody finally said what had to be said), his bosses are offended, and he loses his job. Only one client, unremarkable Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), elects to remain with Jerry as he strikes out on his own. Also joining him is a 26-year old single mother, Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger), who is so moved by Jerry's Mission Statement that she's willing to throw away a safe job to be part of his new venture.

In an era of downsizing and force reductions, it's easy to understand what happens to Jerry. He speaks his mind, crying out for compassion and caring, only to be slapped down. He is branded as a loser because he dares to swim against the heartless, prevalent business currents. Jerry finds himself in deep, uncertain waters, but his indefatigable spirit, bolstered by tireless support from Rod and Dorothy, helps him navigate the most dangerous eddies.

Jerry Maguire is about redemption and love. It's about finding one's heart and soul in a business climate that attempts to rip both away. Writer/director Cameron Crowe, [who also wrote and directed Say Anything… (1989), Singles (1992), Almost Famous (2000), Elizabethtown (2005) and We Bought a Zoo (2011)], brings both a strong sense of verisimilitude and a lively wit to his film. Even as Jerry Maguire reaches out to the heart, it tickles the funny bone. Not only does Crowe have a knack for creating multi-dimensional personalities for secondary characters with minimal screen time, but he uses traditional formulas in unique ways to serve his themes. For example, a common sports cliché is integrated into Jerry Maguire in such a way that it doesn't seem cheap or overdone. It's not the point of the movie; it's just another piece in the overall puzzle.

Cruise, always a popular box-office draw, shows why he got to the top. With a fine performance, he forms the glue that holds the production together. Of course, it helps that the cast includes three stupendous supporting actors (Gooding Jr., Zellweger and Kelly Preston playing Jerry’s ex-fiancée Avery), not to mention a child performer (Jonathan Lipnicki, playing Dorothy's son Ray) who threatens to steal several scenes on cuteness alone.

Cuba Gooding Jr., who was excellent years ago in his Boyz 'N the Hood debut, but hasn't done much since, invests Rod with a remarkable level of energy and enthusiasm. And, although his favorite phrase is Show me the money! we recognize quickly that a love of family, not greed, is what motivates this athlete. Regina King (A Thin Line Between Love and Hate) is wonderful as Rod's fanatically supportive wife. With a standout performance, she transforms what could have been a minor role into something noteworthy.

Then there's Renee Zellweger (The Whole Wide World), who will undoubtedly receive raves for her portrayal of Dorothy, a determined woman following her own vision of the yellow brick road. Zellweger displays an appealing blend of strength and vulnerability, and her chemistry with Cruise is nearly perfect. Their first romantic scene is charged with a playful, but undeniable, eroticism. If there's one downside to the actress' appearance in Jerry Maguire, it's that she's not on screen enough. And, even if Jerry isn't immediately smitten, we are.

While the budding romance between Jerry and Dorothy is Jerry Maguire's most enchanting element, the remainder of the film has the necessary appeal to keep our attention when Zellweger isn't around (Cruise, on the other hand, is in just about every scene). Crowe, who doesn't have a subpar entry on his short resume, has crafted another winner here. In fact, with its attention to detail, top-notch performances, and universal themes, Jerry Maguire marks his most successful movie to date. For anyone who has forgotten the feelings that a wonderful movie can trigger, Jerry Maguire provides a welcome reminder. [Berardinelli’s rating: ***½ out of 4 stars]

Labels: comedy, drama, football, romance, sport

Internet Movie Database 7.3/10 

Metacritic 77/100 

RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=76, viewers=77) 

Blu-ray 

Heaven Can Wait (1978) [PG] ****

Joe Pendleton (Warren Beatty) is the back-up quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams NFL football team. The team is winning, and Joe has been picked to start the next game. Then, while riding his bicycle down the mountain from his rural home, Joe is killed in a collision with a car.

At the after-life way station, he insists there's been a mistake, and refuses to board his transport to Heaven. The station manager, Mr. Jordan (James Mason) discovers that Joe's life was not due to end for nearly fifty years, and that Joe's inexperienced angelic escort (Buck Henry) made a mistake in not waiting for the event outcome. Joe wants to be put back into his own body but, unfortunately, it's already been cremated. To make amends, Mr. Jordan agrees to find Joe another athletic body; in the meantime Joe agrees to occupy the body of Leo Farnsworth, a wealthy industrialist, although his wife (Dyan Cannon) and secretary (Charles Grodin) are trying to murder him.

What Joe doesn't foresee, however, is falling in love with Betty Logan (Julie Christie), an British environmental activist who wants Farnsworth to stop building an oil refinery. Joe needs Farnsworth's body to pursue Betty, but he also needs his old Rams trainer Max Corkle (Jack Warden) to get the body in shape to be a quarterback, and to get Joe a tryout with the Rams.

Warren Beatty and Julie Christie have terrific romantic chemistry together, the supporting cast is excellent, and the story's ending is positive, uplifting, and more than a bit ironic. In addition to starring, Warren Beatty co-wrote the screenplay, and co-directed the film, an outstanding effort that earned him 1979 Academy Award nominations in all three categories. If you enjoy films that explore the possibilities of a soul inhabiting more than one body - films like Chances Are and Heart and Souls - then you'll want to see Heaven Can Wait.

Labels: comedy, fantasy, football, rom-com-faves, romance, sport
Internet Movie Database 6.9/10
Metacritic 72/100
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=75, viewers=66)

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