“The Smashing Machine” marks Benny Safdie’s first solo directorial effort for a feature project. Before, he and his brother Josh helmed films about complicated male protagonists entangled in their own ticking timebombs.
The filmmaking brother duo would’ve excelled together in Benny’s new film, as it lacked the urgency needed for the story of Mark Kerr, the real-life mixed-martial arts (MMA) fighter played by Dwayne Johnson.
“The Smashing Machine” only covers a pivotal period in Kerr’s life, at the cusp of his fame in the global MMA scene, and at the same time, at the danger of his inevitable downfall. In this sport, every punch and kick takes a toll, significantly affecting their performance, which leads to their win and losses.
Johnson had his career-best performance as Kerr, perhaps because his sport didn’t really stray away from his wrestling background, but the humanity needed to mask the athlete on- and off-ring is what he greatly pulled off here. Emily Blunt portrays Kerr’s wife, Dawn, and she is a wonderful contrast to Johnson’s intense moments.
“The Smashing Machine” never follows a traditional biopic, in the sense that it follows a looser structure, but it failed to make big swings. Nonetheless, it’s an entertaining sports drama that is surprisingly filled with optimism.
“The Smashing Machine” is now showing in cinemas from VVS Films.
Featured images from A24.
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