The Smashing Machine 4K 2025 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

The life and career of Mark Kerr, an American mixed martial artist.

Review 4K Movie

What if the only thing you need for your personal victory is defeat? This question has been on my mind for days after watching the film. And, in my opinion, when such a non-trivial and highly controversial question seriously occupies your mind after the screening, it says a lot about the content of the film.

Yes, the film won the Silver Lion in Venice for directing, and it seems as if this gives it some kind of carte blanche to be easier to praise. But that's not the case... And there are plenty of examples when the winners of the nomination are forgotten the next day... But this film (yes, with its flaws, which I'll discuss later) is one that I really want to recommend, simply and humanly. And no, this film is not just for fans of no-holds-barred fighting, no, it's not a film exclusively for Dwayne Johnson fans (although he did surprise me, and apparently not only me, but also people who came to see the film, most likely after seeing it on the poster without looking any further), this film is not about the real truth based exclusively on facts; it's a film about how there are no good guys and bad guys in life, there is no justice, and, probably, it's a film about a banal but somehow very relevant idea today: “whoever won lost; and whoever lost won.” And what I like twice as much about all this is that the film does not try to impose or hammer anything into you. Everything said above applies to me and only me, but most importantly, the film did not leave my head empty. Maybe someone else will see something completely different in this story, in this narrative, but that's the beauty of it.

What you will definitely notice from the very first minutes is the stunning acting of the duo—Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. Well, basically, we already know that Blunt is a good actress. But, excuse me, “The Rock”? Honestly, when was the last time you saw Dwayne really at work, rather than wandering from film to film as a tough guy? And he really did a great job.

Of course, Dwayne, who knows a lot about reputation and money, signed on as a producer for the film. Basically, I think this film is pure PR for Johnson. When people write about the film's box office failure, it seems worth remembering that movies aren't made for that. A24 has already established itself as a studio that makes films not only for distribution, but also to earn points in the eyes of film critics and “true” cinephiles, which in turn has a positive impact on the subsequent awards season. But even such motives do not negate the work done by Blunt and Dwayne Johnson — unambiguous respect and admiration.

And, of course, if we're talking about the film's strengths, we can't fail to mention Benny Safdie's directing. It's pure pleasure to see how the images blend with the music and come together to form a single film. And what I want to highlight is the masterful control of the emotional swings within the film. This is especially evident in the fight scenes, which are not particularly action-packed, but the perfect timing of the frame changes combined with the music and cool choreography completely captivate you. Safdie constantly manipulates the viewer, tugging at their heartstrings. In terms of emotional involvement, the film does everything it can.

But, unfortunately, in addition to emotions, there is also rational perception. And this is where questions arise. Because sometimes inexplicable things happen with the plot lines. For example, the main conflict of the film is the relationship between the main character (Mark Kerr) and his beloved (Done). And in this conflict, questions of cause and effect often arise: it is not always clear when they reconciled after a quarrel, what the motive was. Yes, it is a passionate and emotional love that consumes each of the characters from within, but even here, at least a little motivation is required. In particular, this gap is visible in the middle of the film, when the status of the lovers' relationship seems to be suspended in the air, the viewer is waiting for an answer, but he will not get an answer, and will only see some action outside the narrative. This creates a blank spot in the narrative, which gradually increases in size due to inexplicable plot twists.

With such silly mistakes, the value of the film itself, which raises complex questions, is somewhat lost. And there is a feeling that the viewer has to do the screenwriter's homework, which clearly cannot be a plus.

And it is probably doubly disappointing that the high-quality work on the structure of the characters themselves is lost. All the complexity of the characters and their actions suddenly seems groundless. So I watched a film in which the main character needed to lose in order to find and accept himself from a different perspective, but in the end, the screenwriter himself decided to screw up at the wrong moment in order to accept himself.