Filmmaker Christopher Nolan has heaped praise on Dwayne Johnson’s portrayal of UFC fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, calling it one of the best performances of the year.
Speaking with director Benny Safdie on The Director’s Cut, the Directors Guild of America’s podcast, Nolan described Johnson’s work as “heartbreaking.” He continued, “I think it’s an incredible performance. I don’t think you’ll see a better performance this year or most other years.”
Though The Smashing Machine, produced by A24, hasn’t dominated the box office, Johnson’s dramatic transformation has earned significant critical acclaim — now bolstered by Nolan’s endorsement.
Nolan and Johnson have yet to collaborate, but they’ve expressed mutual admiration before. The Oppenheimer director has praised the Fast & Furious franchise, while Johnson has called watching Oppenheimer in IMAX an “amazing” experience.
During the podcast, Safdie revealed that the idea for The Smashing Machine took shape while he was acting in Oppenheimer. The filmmaker met Emily Blunt during the shoot a connection that eventually led to her casting in his film.
I heard a rumor that when you were supposed to be learning your lines on my set, you were actually canvassing people to be in your movie. I wasn’t aware of that at the time, but it seems to have worked out great for you.
Nolan joked.
Safdie laughed, admitting he had approached Blunt during an Oppenheimer Q&A session.
Closing the conversation, Nolan congratulated Safdie, saying, “It’s a really remarkable and radical piece of work that will be understood more and more over time. I’m very proud to know you.”
Source: Deadline
