THE SMASHING MACHINE Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Benny Safdie
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, Oleksandr Usyk.
The Smashing Machine is a biopic of Mark Kerr, a pioneer in the emerging sport of Mixed Martial Arts a sport renowned for its brutality and its no-holds barred approach that combined wrestling, boxing and kick-boxing. In the 80s the nascent sport was virtually unknown in the USA but was huge in Asia. However, this film eschews many of the familiar cliches of the sports biopic.
Based on John Hyams’ 2002 documentary The Smashing Machine: The Life And Times Of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr, the film spans the period from 1997-2000 and looks at the burgeoning career of Kerr as he switched from wrestling to embracing the more brutal MMA. Because the sport was largely unknown in the States, Kerr fought in Japan as part of the Pride Fighting Championships. The Smashing Machine is a character study that looks at the emotional and physical toll that the brutal sport took on Kerr and the effect it had on his personal relationship, but it is also a bracing study of masculinity. Kerr used drugs to help overcome the pain from his many bouts in the ring and his career was dogged by rumours of steroid abuse. The film also looks at his volatile relationship with his longtime girlfriend Dawn Staples, who enabled his addictions.
The Smashing Machine marks the debut solo directorial effort from actor/writer/director Benny Safdie who has normally worked with his brother Josh on independent features. The pair have proven their ability to cast actors against type and draw solid dramatic performances from the likes of Robert Pattison in Good Time and Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems. Here Safdie, working alone, draws a more subtle and vulnerable performance from Dwayne Johnson, better known for playing brawny action heroes in big budget blockbusters, who is cast against type. He even gets to shed a tear on screen after a disappointing loss in the ring. Johnson’s impressive physique is still on display here, but through the use of wigs and prosthetics and makeup created by Oscar winner Kazu Hiro, Johnson physically transforms into Kerr. This is easily Johnson’s best performance, and it allows him to stretch his dramatic range, as his Kerr wrestles with his demons. An Oscar nomination would not be beyond the realms of possibility given his remarkable work here as the flawed protagonist.
Ryan Bader, who comes from a background in MMA, makes his acting debut here and acquits himself well as Mark Coleman, a fellow fighter who is also Kerr’s friend and rival in the ring. But it is Emily Blunt (reunited with her Jungle Cruise costar) who shines with her nuanced, complex performance in an underwritten role as Dawn, capturing her erratic personality and dramatic mood swings. The supporting cast is also populated with people from the world of MMA, adding to the sense of authenticity that Safdie tries to create.
Safdie gives the material a raw and almost documentary-like verite look and feel through the use of close-ups and hand-held cameras. Cinematographer Maceo Bishop (Somewhere In Queens, etc) uses a muted colour palette and a combination of grainy 16mm and 65mm that gives the film the gritty look of a film shot in the 90s. With its gritty realistic approach, The Smashing Machine has some similarities to films like The Wrestler and Raging Bull.
The Smashing Machine earned a fifteen-minute standing ovation after its screening at the Venice Film Festival. However, this is not an easy film to sit through though as many of the fight scenes are quite brutal and gruelling to watch. Nonetheless, it may hold interest for those who appreciate the sport of MMA.
★★★
