Aiming high: Dwayne Johnson as ‘The Smashing Machine’.
THE SMASHING MACHINE ***1/2 (123 minutes) M
Barely recognizable under a layer of transformative, Oscar-worthy make-up, Dwayne Johnson steps away from his usual action-movie mulch to deliver a wholly impressive, arguably Oscar-worthy performance as UFC fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine.
Shot in docu-drama style, writer/director Benny Safdie chronicles the rise of Kerr across the 1990s, his formidable physique and aggression in the ring serving as a telling contrast to his mild, polite manner when dealing with his wife, friends and business associates.
It’s a terrific, convincing portrait of a gentle giant whose hunger for victory at every turn pushed him to drug abuse and frayed his relationship with loyal life partner Dawn Staples, played by an equally impressive Emily Blunt who, perhaps, doesn’t get the screen time or character arc she deserves.
As with any good film set in the sports realm, the yarn is entertaining and engaging regardless of how familiar you are with the sport being depicted. Focusing on Kerr’s relentless drive and hunger to win every fight, it’s a powerful portrait of how the desire to excel can become a compulsion overriding good sense.
It neatly reflects what the late, great Robert Redford said: “Sport is a wonderful metaphor for life”, an approach neatly exemplified by his 1984 baseball classic The Natural and his not-so-classic 2000 golf movie The Legend of Bagger Vance (which he directed but didn’t star in).
With biopics it’s always worth noting how much reference material was available for the actors to shape their portrayal.
As with Will Smith and Ali, Johnson had reels of film and TV footage to draw upon, most prominently the 2002 documentary The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr. (available here)
Most important, of course, is that we end up with a fully rounded, relatable character, not a caricature nor an impersonation.
On that score Johnson delivers an athlete with heart, compassion and a little too much drive. As a producer, he also fulfils the film’s purpose, clearly stated in the final crawl, to give Kerr credit long overlooked.
HIM * (96 minutes) MA
In a dire attempt to blend sports and horror, a footballer recovering from a head injury finds the special training resort where he is sent to prove himself worthy of a comeback turns out to be something wholly other.
Tricked up visuals, with a love for X-ray imagery, can’t save the flood of tiresome cliches that cascade into the final reel. The desert location is mildly interesting, but that’s about it.
The guff stars Tyriq Withers and Marlon Wayans (a pretty funny guy playing straight), with Australian comedian Jim Jeffries providing comic relief as a coach.
Flatly directed by Justin Tipping. Produced by Jordan Peele, whose genre output continues to be eminently mediocre – though, to be fair, Candyman was quite good.