[We’ve been so busy during the holidays that we haven’t seen many movies.  Not many have interested me anyway.  Here are two that might float your boat.]

Concussion.  Peter Landesman, director and screenplay; Jeanne Marie Laskas, author of the medical mystery.  This is also a conspiracy story involving the NFL and the federal government attempts to protect America’s favorite gladiator sport.  It’s about how the problem of concussions became public thanks to a Nigerian doctor played by Will Smith (he probably deserves an Oscar, by the way).  It’s interesting that the cover-up still continues—there are no ads for this movie in the NY Times!  As indicated in the movie, the NFL thinks they’re better than God, and Goodell is its prophet and protector.  Rabid fans might not like this movie; logical and reasonable ones will.  Parallels with Big Tobacco are obvious—at least the players now know what awaits them in the future.  (A+; PG-13, I suppose, but there’s strong language even if you discount the football violence.)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  J. J. Abrams, dir.  I waited for the hype to die down a wee bit to review this one.  Curiosity moved me—I was more curious to see if it lived up to the hype, of course.  It doesn’t.  None of the stories in episodes I through VI were great; in VII there is NO story, unless you count Han and Leia’s kid idolizing his grandfather a story.  There are some new faces in addition to the old ones.  The new female protagonist is a clone of the Hunger Games heroine, and the new male protagonist is more just a bow to diversity—they’re both OK although not believable.  Harrison Ford still steals the show, what there is of it.  Frankly, I couldn’t understand what all the cheering was about, but, then again, I never liked Star Wars.  Even the “surprises” were predictable.  (C+; some little kids might get scared at times, so parents should be with their little ones, but this is G.)

In libris libertas….

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