The story of mixed-martial arts and UFC champion Mark Kerr.
There has long been a rumor that Dwayne Johnson has a “no-lose” clause in his contract, stipulating that any character he plays cannot be depicted losing a fight, ostensibly because it would harm Johnson’s brand. Whether or not there’s any validity to that rumor, I can‘t say, but when Mark Kerr, the real-life former UFC fighter Johnson portrays in this movie, loses a fight for the first time and subsequently breaks down in tears, it’s symbolic of Johnson shuffling off the last vestiges of his “The Rock” persona and fully committing to this role. It’s refreshing to see him play someone so vulnerable. He gives his all to play this struggling, deeply flawed, drug-addicted athlete and accomplishes something that should silence all the haters.
The problem is that the rest of the movie is subpar. The scope of the story is so narrow and the direction so conventional, which is surprising coming from director Benny Safdie. I know the Safdie Brothers have split up as a duo, but if this is what Benny produces on his own, he may want to give his brother a call and patch things up.
Emily Blunt plays Dawn Staples, Kerr’s longtime girlfriend, whose character does a complete 180. At first, she’s supportive of Kerr and his career trajectory. She’s there for him when his first loss destroys him and saves his life by calling an ambulance when he overdoses on Morphine. But after he gets sober (a plot point the movie spends an irresponsibly short amount of time on), she continues to drink and party and stops taking his recovery or his fighting career seriously. Blunt does a remarkable job in a role that is beneath her, especially after her Oscar-nominated turn in “Oppenheimer” two years ago.
This feels like the most mainstream A24 movie to date, with disappointingly by-the-numbers directing and a script full of sports movie cliches. If “The Smashing Machine” was meant to be Dwayne Johnson’s Oscar-bait movie, this was a measly attempt. If you’re a fan of The Rock, then this movie is definitely worth watching. Otherwise, you can skip it.
In Theaters Friday, October 3rd
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