Time: 123 Minutes
Age Rating: M – Violence, offensive language, drug use & suicide references
Cast:
Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr
Emily Blunt as Dawn Staples
Ryan Bader as Mark Coleman
Bas Rutten as himself
Oleksandr Usyk as Igor Vovchanchyn
Director: Benny Safdie

The main thing I knew about The Smashing Machine was that Dwayne Johnson was taking a big turn to drama with a sports biopic playing a fighter. What was especially interesting to me was that it was being directed by Benny Safide, who co-directed Good Time and Uncut Gems. It wasn’t as great as I hoped it would be, but I thought that it was pretty good on the whole.

Having not known anything about Mark Kerr, the UFC fighter and subject of the film, it was fairly interesting to learn about him here. It’s just a shame that the script is a bit of a mixed bag. Considering it’s from one of the directors of Good Time and Uncut Gems, it’s definitely less intense than you might think it is. It is a largely conventional and by the numbers sports biopic that goes through the motions. At the same time, it is far more understated and personal, and has a smaller scope. While Kerr’s fighting career is a notable part of the movie, there’s less of the fighting onscreen than you’d expect, and his struggle with addiction and his domestic life are as notable a part in the story. Unfortunately, both the fighting career and domestic life aspects felt underdeveloped. Some of it can come across as melodramatic at times, despite being genuine.

Dwayne Johnson delivers one of his best performances as Mark Kerr, it is his best acting since Pain & Gain at least. The makeup is very convincing at making him look more like Kerr, and unsurprisingly he has the physicality for the role and for the fighting. His acting is also surprisingly understated, subtle, vulnerable and quiet, and was very effective. Emily Blunt plays Kerr’s girlfriend, Dawn, who has a notably underwritten part to play, despite being a key part of the film. However, Blunt gives a lot of humanity and depth to her part, she does well with what she has, and shares believable chemistry with Johnson. The rest of the acting is solid too, Ryan Bader is especially great.

Benny Safdie’s direction is solid. It is filmed almost documentary style, with great grainy cinematography, long takes, close ups and handheld camerawork. The fighting scenes are stripped down and well portrayed, and the film is accompanied by a really good and ethereal score from Nala Sinephro.

The Smashing Machine is a solid, if serviceable and by the numbers, biopic, with solid direction and great performances.