The Smashing Machine

This seems geared to elevate Johnson to “legitimate” status as an actor, but 20+ years into a movie career, has he left his run a little late? Be that as it may, it’s a genuinely enthralling and commanding performance, especially if you are already a fan of the actor, though what surrounds him is not especially interesting or compelling, especially Blunt’s rather spectacular mis-casting as Kerr’s trailer-trash partner; Safdie seems to struggle to develop a strong or edifying through-line, not helped by the fact that Kerr’s story at its core is not an especially compelling one. Still I’ll stump for Johnson giving it the college try, and succeeding.