“`html
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the prominent US actor, has expressed a “burning desire” to explore new cinematic territory, citing years of being “pigeon-holed” as a blockbuster mainstay.
The 53-year-old performer’s role in “The Smashing Machine,” which recently premiered at the Venice Film Festival, could potentially garner him his inaugural Oscar nomination.
Johnson stated that portraying UFC fighter Mark Kerr in the film has “certainly changed my life,” further noting that this transformation was something he was “really hungry to do.”
“I’ve been scared to go deep and intense and raw until now, until I had this opportunity to do this,” Johnson told journalists.
Johnson is predominantly recognized for his appearances in high-budget productions such as “Jumanji,” “San Andreas,” “Black Adam,” “Moana,” “Baywatch,” and the “Fast & Furious” franchise.
“The Smashing Machine,” helmed by Benny Safdie, marks a reunion between Johnson and Emily Blunt, his co-star from “Jungle Cruise,” who portrays Kerr’s girlfriend, Dawn Staples.
When questioned about his motivation for accepting the role, Johnson elucidated: “I have wanted this for a long time.”
“When you’re in Hollywood, as we all know, it had become about box office and you chase the box office. And the box office in our business is very loud, it can be very [overwhelming].”
“It can push you into a corner and category – ‘This is your lane, this is what you do, and this is what people want you to be and this is what Hollywood wants you to be’.”
“And I understood that, and I made those movies and I liked them and they were fun, and some were really good and did well, and some not so good!” he added with a laugh.
“But I think what I did realise is I just had this burning desire and this voice that was just saying, ‘what if there’s more, what if I can?'”
“Sometimes it’s hard to know what you’re capable of when you’ve been pigeon-holed into something. It’s harder to know ‘wait, can I do that? I feel like I can’. And sometimes it takes people who you love and respect to say ‘you can’.”
Johnson, who previously gained recognition as The Rock in professional wrestling, further stated that taking on this role was not “about anything to prove to Hollywood as much as it is for me, internally.”
Initial reviews of the film have garnered praise for Johnson’s performance. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman characterized his performance as “a revelation,” suggesting that he “seems like a new actor.”
In a four-star review, the Telegraph’s Robbie Collin noted: “His performance is warm, sincere and admirably ego-less, while some phenomenally delicate facial prosthetics alter his appearance just enough that you see his character, rather than The Rock, looming up on the screen.”
IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio concluded: “While The Smashing Machine doesn’t play like easy awards catnip, Johnson earns a sizeable position among this year’s prize-seekers.”
In contrast to the typical Dwayne Johnson film, which often features explosions and car chases, “The Smashing Machine” delves into the world of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, highlighting Mark Kerr’s prominence during the sport’s early years in the 1990s.
As the film explains, UFC combines various fighting styles in a single ring, where a boxer might face an opponent skilled in wrestling or karate, with few restrictions in the pursuit of victory.
Director Safdie, one half of the Safdie brothers known for works such as “Uncut Gems,” explained, “Around that time, there was something so experimental about what was going on.”
“You had all of these different martial arts forms competing against one another, and it was just such a unique sport.”
“And it was also such a close-knit community where everybody knew one another and loved one another, and to have that contradiction of this fighting world but this love between them was something that was really beautiful to me, and I wanted to explore that.”
While the film includes fight scenes, its primary focus lies outside the ring, exploring Kerr’s gentle nature, his struggles with substance abuse, and his complex relationship with Dawn, portrayed by Blunt.
Blunt describes Johnson as a “dear friend,” adding, “One of the most extraordinary things was seeing him completely disappear, it was spooky.”
Discussing her character, Blunt stated: “I was delighted there was a woman in the midst of it, because there was a lot going on behind closed doors of what it means to live with a fighter and the all-consuming world that comes with that.”
“I got to know Dawn well and she was very generous with her story with me, the full weather system of it, the regrets, the eruptions, the hazardous nature of the relationship at times, and the deep, profound love and devotion they had to each other amid an impossible environment.”
“So I think it was an incredibly exciting relationship to put on screen. I’d been part of a lot of [on-screen] relationships that essentially are a movie-fied relationship, and this just felt like the full spectrum of what a relationship really looks like.”
Set between 1997 and 2000, “The Smashing Machine” derives its title from Kerr’s nickname following an early tournament victory. An HBO documentary about Kerr with the same title was released in 2002.
Johnson first encountered Kerr in the 1990s during his own wrestling career. He semi-retired from the sport in 2004 to concentrate on his Hollywood career, ultimately becoming one of the industry’s most commercially successful stars.
“I remember talking to [Kerr] back then and being so enamoured and respecting of his career, and it’s so wild how years later life can come full circle in this incredible way,” Johnson remarked.
The actor mentioned that he has become “very close” to Kerr, describing him as “a walking contradiction for a man who at one time was the greatest fighter on the planet, but also the most kind, gentle, tender, empathetic [person].”
Awards analysts will be keenly observing the reception of Johnson’s film, as he enters a best actor race featuring numerous A-list contenders.
Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey, George Clooney, Jesse Plemons, Timothee Chalamet, and Jeremy Allen White are among the prominent figures who could potentially compete with Johnson.
While only a select few will advance to the Oscars, several may receive recognition at the more celebrity-oriented Golden Globes, which offers a greater number of nominations. The competitive landscape will become clearer as more films premiere in the coming weeks.
Reflecting on his success since transitioning from wrestling, Johnson stated: “I have been very fortunate to have the career I’ve had over the years and make the films that I’ve made. But there was this voice inside of me that said ‘what if I could do more?'”
He continued: “The truth is, I looked around a few years ago and started to think, ‘am I living my dream or am I living other people’s dreams?'”
“And you come to that recognition and you can either fall in line, go ‘it’s status quo, things are good’, or you can go, ‘no, I wanna live my dreams now and do what I want to do, and tap into the things I want to tap into and have a place to put all this stuff that I’ve experienced in the past that I’ve shied away from’.”
Joshua Fletcher, from Guernsey, directed Albert, a film about the island’s folklore and witchcraft.
Charlotte Gurvey says it was the first time the farm had done anything like it.
Saltburn star Jacob Elordi is unrecognisable as Frankenstein’s creation in the new Netflix adaptation.
Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel features the “ridiculously good-looking” Jacob Elordi as the monster – which results in a muddled film.
The actress says her new film about a sexual assault on a college campus
will provoke debate.
“`