When Dwayne Johnson broke down in uncontrollable sobs during a 15-minute standing ovation at the Venice International Film Festival, it became more than an emotional premiere moment for the wrestler-turned-actor. It signaled the potential birth of one of the unlikeliest Oscar contenders in recent memory, as his transformative turn in Benny Safdie’s moving “The Smashing Machine” could reshape how Hollywood views one of its most bankable stars.
Johnson’s plays former amateur wrestler and Mma fighter Mark Kerr in A24’s emotionally devastating drama, representing the kind of career pivot that Academy voters have historically embraced, and one the cinematic world may be excited to watch unfold. With Safdie taking home Silver Lion for directing at Venice, the buzz is growing louder surrounding Johnson’s vulnerable turn as the troubled athlete. Now, bowing at the Toronto Film Festival,…
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