THE VIRTUOSO

Anson Mount     Abbie Cornish     Anthony Hopkins     Eddie Marsan     Richard Brake     David Morse

 

A virtuoso in crime with a conscience…  That’s a tall order.  Not one that could happen?  Maybe.  It’s not far-fetched, but that’s what this movie is based upon.  It starts out and we can see the virtuoso planning very carefully what he does ahead of time, with strict rules for self-behavior.  We’re impressed with his forethought in planning for contingencies and his precision.  Typically, he’s given only scant details about the job he is to do; nevertheless he is compelled to go forward, and when he is given a job that takes only 48 hours to enact—one in which he needs more planning time, he is not pleased but forges ahead.  

The script by James C. Wolf, which has a few questions to answer to—is mostly fine, pulling us in, throwing out cues, and making every chance encounter meaningful.  But I think most people will see the denouement coming well beforehand.  This is an unforgiving give-away in the film that Virtuoso portends to be.

Kudos can be given to Anson Mount (the Virtuoso) for conveying the mystique and sardonic ambiguity needed for the role, along with Abbie Cornish (the Waitress), who lends the right amount of flirtation and genuine interest needed to further the story.  Anthony Hopkins plays the role of the “director” of crimes with practiced expertise, and provides enough mystery combined with benevolence to lend credence to the plot.

This is a sort-of playful crime drama that can be enjoyed during a relaxing evening at home.  It’s not a block-buster type of movie, but one that will entertain you on a pleasant evening.  Maybe the filmmakers needed more time, but I think they didn’t deliver what they promised—a gripping, well-crafted  scenario exploiting Mount’s and Hopkins’ assets would give us more of a thrill.

 

Let’s give it to virtuosos who know their craft and employ it to their advantage, even though they too are fallible.

 

Grade:  C+                           By Donna R. Copeland

CONCUSSION

Will Smith   Gugu Mbatha-Raw   Alec Baldwin   Eddie Marsan   David Morse   Albert Brooks

          Young Dr. Bennett Omalu is from Nigeria, and from the time he was a boy he dreamed of coming to America.  He obtained medical degrees (bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery) at the University of Nigeria, obtained a residency position at Columbia University in New York, and along the way earned multiple advanced degrees and certifications, eventually ending up as a forensic pathologist.  When the story of Concussion (based on a true story) begins in 2002, Omalu (Smith) is at the Allegheny County Coroner’s Office in Pittsburgh, with the notable Dr. Cyril Wecht (Brooks) as his mentor.

              Omalu will soon gain recognition as the physician-scientist who first discovered that head injuries among professional football players have long lasting and sometimes devastating consequences.  He called the condition chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).  No small thing, because when it progresses, it eventually makes the person crazy, often driving them to suicide.

           Now, football is big business, employing hundreds of thousands of people, seeing that disadvantaged kids get an education, and making senior executives in the National Football League very rich.  The NFL will not take Omalu’s discovery lightly, and will fight circulation of the information about the damage to players like the tobacco companies fought the truth about the danger of cigarettes.  It will attempt to destroy the careers of Omalu and his mentor Wecht using every scheme the executives can think of.

           The themes of the film are very interesting and educational.  First is the dramatic story of how Omalu came to his conclusions, primarily by studying the brains of five or six players after they began developing problems.  This is not a smooth journey, and Omalu faces all kinds of objections and derision along the way, always with the backup of a strong mentor, Wecht.  Keep in mind that this drama is taking place in Pittsburgh, home of the Steelers, with one of the largest fan bases in the country.  Fans are just as vociferous in their objections to Omalu’s work as the NFL is. 

          Another enlightening theme is what the affected players go through once they develop the condition.  It’s heartbreaking to see the devastation to their minds, and consequently, the destruction of their families and finances. 

Another theme that lightens the burden of learning about a shocking condition is the romance between Omalu and his eventual wife, Prema (Mbetha-Raw) that gradually develops after his priest puts pressure on Omalu, a loner completely dedicated to his work, to take in a border who recently arrived from Nigeria.  She brings order to his home life and provides impressive support as he goes through his trials.  A touching item she brings up at one point is that his last name in Nigerian means “If you know, you must come forth and speak.”  She reminds him at a time when he is doubting the wisdom of pursuing such a controversial subject. 

         Writer-director Peter Landesman (Kill the Messenger, Parkland) is gifted in his presentation of controversial subjects, maintaining a comfortable balance of factual information and emotional experiences of the players.  He does not preach, but maintains a neutral stance in laying out material for the viewer to consider.  His storytelling is captivating.

           I would say that this could be Will Smith’s most important and well-done performance in his acting career.  He has been nominated for and won numerous awards, but he completely loses himself in this role and consistently maintains a plausible Nigerian accent throughout.  He and Mbatha-Raw (Belle, Beyond the Lights) a gifted performer as well, have good chemistry and come across as a very believable couple somewhat awed by their new love.  Supporting actors Albert Brooks, David Morse, and Alec Baldwin live up to their usual standards of quality.

A most enlightening and timely account of a troubling scientific discovery.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE BOY

Jared Breeze     David Morse     Rainn Wilson

The Boy is an elegant picture of a sociopath in the making.  We usually see these people only after they become adults, or at least teenagers.  But this film illustrates very well some of the antecedents of a disturbed personality.  Ted (Breeze) lost his mother when she decided to move to Florida on her own “in one of those moving trucks you drive yourself”, he explains.  His dad (Morse) owns a motel that he inherited from his father in an isolated area, and he proudly announces that Ted will someday be the owner/manager.  Ted has other plans, however, as we shall soon see.  In the meantime, with a bright and curious mind, he entertains himself by attending to animals, by exploring his surroundings, and by trying to connect with the transitional guests of the motel.  But it is obvious that he is lonely and craves nurturing contact.  His mother is gone; his father is an alcoholic and has no idea about what good fathering entails, and he appears not to go to school (maybe this takes place in the summer), so doesn’t have that outlet for socialization.  He is primarily with his own mind, which includes some attitudes passed along to him by his father.

The film, based on Clay McLeod Chapman’s novel and directed by Craig Williams Macneill, who helped with the script, carefully puts the viewer in the mind of the child Ted.  At first we see a hint of hostility and the strange habit of collecting dead animals and disposing of them, for which he receives payments from his father.  The child already has figured out a way to increase his income.  As time goes on, we witness more and more disturbing behavior, which sometimes calls for a confession, but gradually Ted learns how to focus the blame on someone else.

Another disturbing aspect of Ted is that he can be very thoughtful, kind, and helpful; but alas, this is usually functional; it’s a way for him to get what he wants.  On first meeting Ted, he appears to be a sweet, responsible child who helps his dad maintain the motel, and in his fantasies in front of the mirror, he is a welcoming concierge.  Some of the guests, however, figure out what lies behind that persona and become enraged with him.

Breeze owns this role perfectly, and he and the experienced Morse lend a telling but sad picture of their father-son relationship.  Wilson, too, performs beautifully the dark, reticent figure with a shady past.  They and the other characters move the suspenseful story along as the audience sits transfixed, curious to see the ending, but with feelings of dread.

Cinematography by Noah Greenberg is hauntingly beautiful, and the music by Volker Bertelmann is good, but a bit heavy-handed in its ominous tones.

A thriller worthy of the genre.

Grade:  A- By Donna R. Copeland