The Rock Is Electrifying Critics With 'The Smashing Machine' Role
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Dramatic Role In ‘The Smashing Machine’ Is Generating Oscar Buzz
Source: Mondadori Portfolio / Getty / Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
Will The Rock Be Adding An Academy Award To His Trophy Collection?
Johnson’s performance in the film as former UFC champion Mark Kerr is already generating Oscar buzz for the actor, and the Venice Film Festival has a history of leading actors like Brendan Fraser (The Whale) and Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) to Academy Award wins, so it’s looking like history can repeat itself with The Smashing Machine. “The box office in our business is very loud. And it can push you into a category and into a corner: This is your lane, this is what you do, this what people want you to be in and this is what Hollywood wants you to be,” Johnson said. “And I understood that. And I made those movies, and I like them and they were fun. And some were really good and did well and some not so good.” Johnson also claimed he was “pigeonholed” into the roles, but after a push from his Jungle Cruise and The Smashing Machine costar Emily Blunt, he decided to challenge himself.
“When you’ve been pigeonholed into something it’s hard to know, wait, can I do that?” he said. “Sometimes it takes people you know and love, like Emily and Benny, to say you can.”
The Smashing Machine is currently sitting at a certified fresh rating of 87% on the Tomatometer with 23 reviews in.
“Johnson, shifting his whole aspect (he seems like a new actor), invests that silent, moody, hidden side of Mark with a quality of mystery. He gives an extraordinary performance, playing Mark Kerr as a gentle giant with demons that will not speak their name, yet the audience can feel them there; we want to see those demons healed,” said Owen Gleiberman in his review for Variety.
Reactions to the film’s positive reviews are coming in, along with thoughts on his new slim figure, which can be seen below.
The Smashing Machine Receives A 15-Minute Standing Ovation
Johnson was joined by his co-star, Emily Blunt, and director Benny Safdie in Venice, where he and Safdie were both brought to tears while the film received a 15-minute standing ovation. Kerr a two-time UFC heavyweight tournament winner and MMA fighter who retired in 2009 who struggled with addiction to painkillers and opioids, and also overdosed twice joined Johnson in Venice.Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Dramatic Role In ‘The Smashing Machine’ Is Generating Oscar Buzz was originally published on hiphopwired.com
