The Smashing Machine

Director:Benny Safdie

Set between 1997-2000, The Smashing Machine, follows the life and career of Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson). Kerr is one of the early pioneers of MMA fighting and during this period we see his struggles in the ring, with his addictions and with his partner, Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt). Based on a 2002 documentary, The Smashing Machine gives an insight into the fledgling world of MMA and its early fighters.

Biographies can be tricky. Trying to cover a whole life risks skipping over important moments. Focussing on a specific time period risks lacking context. It is the latter problem The Smashing Machine has.

The lack of context left me feeling detached and struggling to understand the importance of Kerr’s part in the sport, what led him to where he found himself or the part many of the relationships, both professional and personal played.

On the plus side, Dwayne Johnson puts in an excellent performance as Kerr. Johnson shows him as a thoughtful, articulate and gentle character, who happens to be good at fighting. But he has demons facing both a toxic addiction and relationship. Emily Blunt is reliable as ever as Kerr’s girlfriend, swinging between loving partner and relationship nightmare. There is also impressive support from some real characters from the sport, with Ryan Bader playing Kerr’s long time friend and Bas Rutten playing himself, both delivering convincing performances. And all of them give an insight into the gruelling nature of their fledgling sport.

The film looks good too, with Safdie focusing on giving us glances into their lives, with cameras peering around corners, making it feel as though you are intruding on personal lives and moments.

The Smashing Machine is not a bad film, it has two excellent performances from Johnson and Emily Blunt and it looks great. However, it lacked context, making it hard to get to know the characters, understand their place in the sport, or invest in their struggles and success. While there are things to enjoy, it never really engaged me, leaving me feeling distant from it all.