Dwayne Johnson tipped for Oscar after glowing reviews for "extraordinary" biopic turn with impressive Rotten Tomatoes debut
Johnson's new film The Smashing Machine will be released in cinemas next month.
First reviews are in for The Smashing Machine, Benny Safdie's new biopic film starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in a transformational performance.
The film, which also stars Emily Blunt, tells the true story of legendary mixed martial artitst and UFC fighter Mark Kerr. While reviews have been somewhat mixed, Johnson's performance has been met with critical acclaim.
The Smashing Machine premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, with Variety's review stating Johnson gives an "extraordinary" performance as Kerr.
Meanwhile, Deadline said that he "owns the whole thing with his truly remarkable work as fighter Mark Kerr, disappearing so fully underneath Kazu Hiru’s astonishing prosthetics that the opening of the film, presented as contemporary footage from an event in Sao Paulo 1997, looks genuinely like the real thing."
Indiewire added: "Johnson is an ideal match for Safdie and the material, bridging without sensation or cloying affect the disconnect between who Mark is in the octagon (intimidating, undefeated, all primal machismo energy) and who he is outside the cage (wounded, insecure, cauliflower-eared)."
Radio Times's own review said that Johnson "smashes it", even if the film is "a little too on-the-nose" at times and "doesn’t quite bring us the high drama you’d expect".
Despite these criticisms, the film has received an impressive Rotten Tomatoes rating, currently sitting on an 89 per cent score on the review site.
All of this praise for Johnson's work has led to speculation that the star could be in line for his first Oscar nomination, after years of work in blockbusters.
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Speaking at the Venice Festival, as reported by the BBC, Johnson said that he had a "burning desire" to take on a more dramatic role in a project like this, but that "sometimes it's hard to know what you're capable of when you've been pigeon-holed into something".
As a director, Safdie has previously worked with his brother Josh on recent hits like Good Time and Uncut Gems. Josh Safdie also has a film coming out soon, the Timothée Chalamet-starring Marty Supreme.
The Smashing Machine is released in UK cinemas on Friday 3rd October.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
