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Bennie Safdie\u2019s new movie The Smashing Machine<\/em> \u2014 the rise and fall story of Mark Kerr, a decorated, troubled MMA fighter from the sports\u2019 earliest days \u2014 played at the Venice Film Festival this week.<\/p>\n That occasion got the film\u2019s star, WWE superstar-turned-box office king Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson, trending<\/a> for the body transformation<\/a> he\u2019s gone through since playing Kerr<\/a> in last year\u2019s shoot<\/a>.<\/p>\n That transformation included wearing facial prosthetics in the film. Johnson also says that playing the role for Safdie, one-half of the brother duo responsible for gritty, realistic crime thrillers like Good Time<\/em> and Uncut Gems<\/em>, got him to face fears<\/a> and go places as an actor that he never had before.<\/p>\n All of that may have been going through Rocky\u2019s mind as the crowd in Venice gave The Smashing Machine<\/em> a 15-minute standing ovation. Johnson was caught on film wiping away and smiling through tears beside co-star Emily Blunt during the applause.<\/p>\n Dwayne Johnson weeps during the 15-minute #Venezia2025<\/a> standing ovation for \u2018The Smashing Machine.\u2019 This was the most emotion we\u2019ve since on the Lido since Brendan Fraser launched his Oscar campaign here four years ago for \u2018The Whale.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n Variety<\/em>\u2019s Co-Editor-in-Chief doesn\u2019t just idly bring up Brendan Fraser\u2019s successful Best Actor Oscar campaign for The Whale<\/em>. The was awards buzz for Johnson before anyone had seen The Smashing Machine<\/em>. It\u2019s going to get louder after moments like the one in Venice, and reviews like these:<\/p>\n Ryan Lattanzio for IndieWire<\/a>: \u201cJohnson\u2019s performance is out-and-out wonderful, a beady-eyed fusion of body and spirit that osmoses Safdie\u2019s sensibility to deliver what can\u2019t be disputed as the most layered work of the actor\u2019s career.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n\n
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