There is no question that Dwayne Johnson is a movie star, but for those who question whether he’s a terrific actor, one need only to look at how hilarious he was in the JUMANJI action-comedy series or how he made drivel like the FAST & FURIOUS franchise eminently watchable. And now with his turn playing real-life mixed martial arts fighter Mark Kerr in THE SMASHING MACHINE, there should be no doubt that Johnson has serious dramatic chops, the kind that should open new doors in his career.
You expect Johnson to be able to fulfill the physical demands of playing a professional athlete like Kerr, but what you don’t expect is for the scenes outside the ring to showcase Johnson’s talents even more. His performance here shares a similar, world-weary vulnerability that Sylvester Stallone showed in ROCKY and Mickey Rourke showcased in THE WRESTLER. I will not be surprised if Johnson snags a Best Actor nomination come Oscar time, just like those two actors did for their legendary performances.
To disappear into the character of Kerr, Johnson wears a curly wig and some exceptional prosthetics to look like his subject, but even when his head is shaven in the third act and he looks considerably more like “The Rock” from his wrestling days, you won’t see Johnson. You’ll see only Kerr as the performance is that immersive. Johnson changes his cadence, his walk, and the way he hulks about with his tight muscles and tightly guarded emotions. Kerr is a kind man, loving and enthusiastic about what he does, but he wears his emotionally wounded heart, along with his burdens, on his sleeve, er uh, oversized biceps.
It’s no wonder that Kerr was so often on edge as his profession was shady in those early days. Cheating opponents, shifty sponsors, a language disparity when he competed over in Japan – – it was not for the faint-hearted. Adding insult to such injury was his tempestuous girlfriend Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt). Dawn was as self-absorbed as he was, unfiltered and combative, the kind of woman who would sabotage her boyfriend’s pre-fight rituals with complaints about flying all the way to Japan to see him. Kerr’s pride continually took hits from all comers, including her, but Kerr tried desperately to keep up strong appearances. Eventually, the facade would make him crack, especially when he lost some key matches and, like most athletes, he was not prepared to be knocked down that many pegs. Yet, this movie is at its best when Kerr was at his worst. His struggle back is fascinating, as he has to overcome age, violence, and a passive/aggressive lover. And Johnson handles all of it with nuance and finesse.
Blunt is terrific too and you forget that she and Johnson were so funny together in JUNGLE CRUISE. Here, their fights are more stressful to watch than Kerr’s bouts in the ring. Dawn is so erratic that every time she’s on screen you practically hold your breath. And you watch in dread as she keeps tearing down Mark. At one point her mean-spiritedness gets the best of Kerr and he tears a door off its hinge in their home. It’s almost funny as the door looks like cheap cardboard, but that’s how strong and full of rage Kerr was in that moment.
Still, even with all the attributes of the cast, stunts, and twists in Kerr’s journey, I wish there was a little more depth and detail to it all. Director/screenwriter Benny Safdie manages all the locations and extras so well, but his script doesn’t concentrate as much as it should on Kerr and Dawn. There are gaps in time and their relationship that Safdie glosses over and we’re left scratching our head on why Kerr would stay with Dawn, or vice versa. And, by concentrating too much on Kerr’s professional win/loss record, the film falls victim to many of the cliches that mar sports biographies. Too much rides on a game or match and it’s a little too obvious, especially when Kerr’s greater battles were at home with his unwell lover.
Ultimately, I came away wanting more story outside the ring, more character interaction with the couple, and less stringent fighting authenticity portrayed in the ring. For all the hitting and fighting in the ring on screen, I wanted more outside of it. Ultimately, my heart wasn’t quite knocked out by THE SMASHING MACHINE.
