Dwayne Johnson's latest movie, The Smashing Machine, gets critical acclaim, which also includes high praise from noted director Christopher Nolan.
The Academy-winning director, who is on The Directors Guild of America's The Director's Cut podcast, says The Rock's performance in the A24 sports biopic "is heartbreaking. I think it’s an incredible performance. I don’t think you’ll see a better performance this year."
The $50 million budget of The Smashing Machine marked Dwayne's biggest box office bomb. But his career's lowest opening did not blunt his morale, as The Rock, in a recent post on Instagram, added that he "can’t control box office results."
Though, he noted, "From deep in my grateful bones, thank you to everyone who has watched 'The Smashing Machine.'"
He continued, "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."
"It was my honor to transform in this role for my director Benny Safdie bowedtie. Thank you brother for believing in me," the Jumanji star noted.
"Truth is this film has changed my life," he concluded. "With deep gratitude, respect and radical empathy."
It is pertinent to mention Dwayne, played by ex-MMA fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, which required him to undergo a radical physical transformation.