Dwayne Johnson not solely impressed the critics in attendance on the Venice Movie Competition along with his heartfelt flip as UFC legend Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine,” he moved many as properly. Can a “Rockaissance” be so as? Following up that success, A24 has unveiled a brand new trailer for the movie, out in theaters October 3, which additionally stars Emily Blunt as Kerr’s girlfriend and eventual spouse Daybreak Staples.
What impressed many in Venice was how Johnson delivers not only a extra private efficiency, like many blockbuster actors who go “severe,” however that, within the phrases of IndieWire critic Ryan Lattanzio it’s general a part of a film that’s “anti-awards-bait.”
As Lattanzio put it, reporting from the Lido, “Safdie’s first solo-directed characteristic after helming episodes of TV’s ‘The Curse’ and creatively breaking apart along with his brother Josh sounds just like the stuff of awards-season bait: An actor going out of his vary to play a tortured athletic soul, bodily remodeled in a steroidal, vein-bulged-muscles sense, on the rocky path to redemption.”
He continued, “However ‘The Smashing Machine‘ will not be that, neither is it ‘The Wrestler,’ both (however {that a} Bruce Springsteen track additionally performs on this movie at a second of Mark’s all-time low will put you within the headspace of Darren Aronofsky’s melodrama). Safdie’s movie is quite a candy duet between a remarkably unembellished Johnson and a blazingly good, blue-collar and freshly blown-out Emily Blunt as his codependent girlfriend and eventual spouse Daybreak Staples-Kerr. Johnson is a perfect match for Safdie and the fabric, bridging with out sensation or cloying have an effect on the disconnect between who Mark is within the octagon (intimidating, undefeated, all primal machismo vitality) and who he’s outdoors the cage (wounded, insecure, cauliflower-eared). All of that’s to say whereas ‘Smashing Machine’ doesn’t play like straightforward awards catnip, Johnson earns a large place amongst this yr’s prize-seekers.”
Critics significantly praised the chemistry between Johnson and Blunt, who channeled their real-life friendship to convey a real sense of ease between their characters. Johnson even went as far as to name Blunt his “finest buddy” within the Venice press convention for the movie and recommend that she helped quite a bit with bringing out his extra bold creative instincts and need to go deeper into a job.
A24 will launch “The Smashing Machine” in theaters on October 3. Watch the brand new trailer beneath.