Here’s a major reality check.
Benny Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine” came into Toronto riding a wave of hype after its Venice debut, where critics were quick to anoint Dwayne Johnson’s performance as Mark Kerr a potential Oscar contender.
The Venice buzz was deafening — a muscular, stripped-down character study, a Johnson unlike we’ve ever seen before, and an awards season player that could redefine his career. Hell, Johnson even took a page out of the Brendan playbook and sobbed during the film’s Lido premiere, a video which went viral.
However, once the dust settled and the film touched down at TIFF, where it world-premiered last night, the reception proved far more muted. What was hailed in Venice is being described in Toronto as uneven and frustrating, a performance piece that doesn’t fully deliver as a film.
The film’s world premiere, surprisingly, didn’t get a standing ovation. Not for the cast, not for the film. I spoke with a few friends afterward, and the general vibe was pretty muted. TIFF attendees seem to actually be enjoying the Sydney Sweeney-starring boxing biopic “Christy” more — and that’s despite its mixed reviews.
This shouldn’t come as much if a surprise — ‘Smashing’ is such a weird and curious hybrid: part docudrama, part farce, part relationship drama, part sports movie. What seems to impress most people is the fact that Johnson finally looks like he’s trying to act instead of simply posing. Watching him strain toward seriousness—awkward, lumbering, oddly touching—is the real spectacle here.
It’s not unusual for festival films to take on a new narrative depending on the crowd — Venice can be a launchpad, and then TIFF either hops on the bandwagon or becomes a frank reality check. I’ve spoken to a large number of attendees here who just didn’t get the hype.
Of course, “The Smashing Machine” may still have legs as awards season heats up, especially with Johnson’s against-type performance being an irresistible Oscar narrative, but the consensus on the ground at TIFF is clear: the film’s not quite the knockout Venice promised.