The Movie Guru: ‘The Smashing Machine’ and ‘Moving On’ both showcases for their leads

‘The Smashing Machine’ (in theaters)

It turns out Dwayne Johnson can act. Who knew?

The wrestler-turned-actor, who cares so much about his image he literally has his character’s invulnerability written into his contracts, finally wrestles with the concept of human emotions in this biopic of MMA fighter Mark Kerr. He even does a pretty good job of it, highlighting both the character’s vulnerability and an inner darkness that continues to drive him into the ring. It’s not really enough to net him an Oscar nomination unless he gets the novelty vote, but it’s proof that there’s real talent there that he needs to start accessing for more movies.

Is that enough to make the movie worth watching? That’s a much more complicated question, and one that depends entirely on how you feel about Johnson, mixed martial arts (MMA) and director Benny Safdie. The director heavily based the film on the 2002 HBO documentary of the same name, and as a result abandons or inverts a lot of classic sports movie tropes. It’s interesting but not at all satisfying as a complete movie, even with Emily Blunt trying to wrestle a well-rounded character out of the script as Kerr’s sweetheart.

But there is something oddly fascinating about Johnson struggling to be a real human boy, a journey his character is also going through. It’s the best reason to watch, even though it probably won’t take him to awards season.

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Grade: Two and a half stars

‘Moving On’ (Netflix)

“Moving On” isn’t sure whether it’s a drama or a comedy.

One thing audiences can be sure of, though, is that it’s an excellent showcase for Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Though the duo usually stars in more traditional comedies, they both have enough dramatic chops to deftly handle the movie’s darker, more serious moments. They also have the comic timing to help sell the humor that is here, and an entertaining, believable chemistry that makes the movie watchable even when the script flags. If you like Fonda and Tomlin and yearn to see them in something that asks more of them than a goofy comedy, this is the movie for you.

In “Moving On,” Fonda and Tomlin are former college friends who reunite at another former friend’s funeral. Fonda is there to murder the widower, who attacked her years ago and ruined her life, while Tomlin is there because of her own secrets. She reluctantly helps Fonda with the murder plan, but it turns out killing someone is harder than either of them thought.

Though the murder attempts are darkly funny, it’s the serious moments that hit the hardest. Fonda must confront the fact that she was never able to move on from the incident, ending her marriage and going through what would be decades of struggle. Tomlin wrestles with her long-ignored sexuality, her relationship to the dead woman and what place it all has in her life now. It’s weightier stuff than either of them has done in the last few years — than Hollywood is willing to give most older actresses — and they both nail it.

The movie might not be sure of what it is, but it’s very sure of them.

Grade: Two and a half stars

Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning movie critic and member of the Denver Film Critics Society and the Utah Film Critics Association. Drop her a line at themovieguruslc@gmail.com.