A LETTERED SOUL: REFLECTIONS ON LITERATURE, CINEMA AND CULTURE .

A CINEPHILE'S RECOMMENDATIONS : HEARTFELT WORKS CELEBRATING THE HUMAN SPIRIT

Here I write about three extremely refined works of art, all informed by real figures and the collective of human experiences finds meritorious traction . I recommend you watch all of these and consume the experiences for yourself. The dynamism of figures portrayed in these films opens pathways for survival, courage and truth seeking endeavors.

For the rest, my words will act as a springboard and introduction for discerning cinephiles.

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CONCUSSION (2015)

CONCUSSION is about much more than the titular head injury as it delves into the unlikely life and times of a living legend , a legend of the public realm who is a Good Samaritan first, so simple and unassuming that he doesn't realize he is going to script a major turn of the screw for the field of sports and the many esteemed players who lost their minds trying to make sense of their mental disintegration post retirement. Dr. BENNET OMALU is a silent crusader and he had faith in science, nothing else, no ego, no plans for a career upshot when he concluded as a coroner that the doomed deaths of former American football Hall of Famers was a result of the constant head butts they received during the course of an ebullient and often violent on - field clash. These were men who didn't know the rationale behind their aggressive spells and complete disorientation from normal social functioning until Dr. Omalu concluded that their concussions had taken a toll on their minds. He deemed the condition as C. T. E and published his research for the same. It addresses the lack of empathy for the idea of mental health and the way outward appearances hamper diagnosis for these hulking sportstars. What is masculinity? is an implicit theme running through the screenplay, whether it is OMALU who is ridiculed for questioning this display of machismo or those authoritative figures who want to further fill their coffers and continue reaping dividends off the exclusive male club in corporate conglomerates.

Set in the year and beyond immediately after the 9/11 epoch, it also lights up a dark alleyway of the first world, showing us that the society's real enemy is systemic racism. This rings true everywhere. As Omalu is targeted for denigrating the beloved sports and called out for being a quack (despite his exemplary degrees and accomplishments including one in ethereal music from London's Royal Academy), the many collared reach of elitism in any professional field, the one hell bent on discrediting him owing to his skin colour, Nigerian roots and immigrant status unspools a fight to the top. The presentation is devoid of jingoism or overt dramatic flourishes.

I felt that courtesy the NFL( National Football League)'s tentacles of power, the established order of the American way is probed, to reveal its hegemonic supremacy that often alienates its immigrants. In Bennet Omalu, the hopes and dreams of fitting into the free world by dint of vocation, righteousness and belief in justice find a resonant contemporary beat.

A shout out to director Peter Landesman. He keeps it real, celebrating the fervour of sports along with the matrix of few supporters and countless detractors who gang up against whistleblowers to save their own skin. Omalu is not an intentional whistle-blower. He is simply stating the truth to save lives. Beautifully structured sequences of complexity and Omalu's inner struggles to prove a simple point correspond with ones centring around Prema, his wife played by a wonderful GUGU MBATHA RAW and a doctor (Alec Baldwin) who ultimately accepts the cold snare of rejection by going against his life long accomplices for larger good. They undertake a lawful passage in the spirit of citizens of a democratic world. One percenters weigh them down. Towards the end, the transparency and humility of OMALU, extending to a million righteous voices, is firmly sealed. He remains non exhibitionist and restrained as he's forced to leave Pittsburgh and relocate to Lodi, California as the higher echelons alienate him and dangers lurk for his impending family life . In Will Smith, OMALU finds a perfect representative.