don't know what to say really, meh. it didn't work, though i actually liked the percussive soundtrack, some scenes should have been cut or written differently. emily blunt didnt have the right chemistry and despite a lot of scenes spent on the two of them, they never really got developed as a pair. didn't show enough training or mma world stuff and i think that's because benny isn't really the guy that would know about that stuff, though he obviously has researched some. i think if he was actually into mma he would have done a different fighters story since there already was a documentary about kerr specifically. anyway, was just meandering, but it's still cool, it's not goyslop since it's made by cool edgy jew yorker. i think marty supreme will be good, but frankly i think the two of them need to just stick to making movies together.
none of the characters really worked together. the addiction side was rushed through, and the random scene after he got out of rehab where his jiu jitsu coach who he practices boxing with, gets a muscle cramp so he's like bro i got you and shoots him up some heroin and is like dont worry i'm still clean this is old stuff i carry around still (throws it in the trash). the rock actually works really well in this type of movie with someone like the safdie bros directing him, but as a main character he is too enamored in a very sterile, expensive, blockbuster, side of cinema and because of that he is less willing to do the type of gritty and raw character acting that the safdies benefit the best from. but despite that he actually surprised me by even being in this film in the first place, and frankly he was actually pretty good, but the movie around him and the other characters in it were doing him no favors outside of pure aesthetics, there wasnt shit going on, no world. it takes place mostly in his kitchen and couch where he fights with his bitchy gf and makes protein smoothies, and filler shots, with some taking place in interviews or press conference or a few "fights" that are shot so boringly AND unrealistic at the same time while LOOKING good.
just left me thinking like, why make this one? who is it for? benny has been in a PTA movie (licorice pizza) and a chris nolan movie (oppenheimer) as an actor, so he really could have made a more compelling feature i feel like off the curtails of those connections and the success of uncut gems which WILL be considered one of the best movies of the post 2000 cinematic tradition.
but the rock was respectable, i say this as someone that grew up on the attitude era, saw him in some early lower budget movies like walking tall and other slop, scorpion king, i never really liked him much as an actor, but he surprised me a lot here. it seems the experience of working on some real character acting with some depth had a big impact on him and i commend that.
