Ace filmmaker Christopher Nolan is all praise for Dwayne Johnson`s latest Oscar campaign, `The Smashing Machine`.
Nolan, during his recent appearance on a podcast alongside the `Smashing Machine` director Benny Safdie, showered the film with a lot of praise, while also hailing Johnson`s performance as MMA fighter Mark Kerr.
Describing it as “heartbreaking”, Nolan said, “I think it`s an incredible performance. I don`t think you`ll see a better performance this year or most other years,” as quoted by Variety.
Nolan and Safdie previously collaborated in `Oppenheimer`, which also featured `The Smashing Machine` star Emily Blunt in an Oscar-nominated role.
In a light-hearted comment, Nolan added, “I heard a rumour 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.”
The `Interstellar` director also congratulated Safdie and said, “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.”
Coming back to the film, `The Smashing Machine` features Dwayne Johnson as two-time UFC heavyweight champ Mark Kerr. Blunt is seen portraying Kerr`s wife, Dawn Staples. The film traces Kerr and Dawn`s volatile relationship amid the former`s professional highs and lows in MMA, also focusing on his substance and abuse struggles.
Made on a $50 million production budget, the film delivered an average performance at the box office with a $5.9 million opening – a career-low for Johnson, as per Variety.
“In our storytelling world, you can`t control box office results — but what I realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere. And I will always run to that opportunity,” Dwayne Johnson said in a statement after the film`s release.
`The Smashing Machine` opened in theatres on October 3.
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