Benny Safdie wants to challenge our expectations of the traditional sports movie. His first solo directorial outing without his brother Josh, “The Smashing Machine” is a biopic that zigs when you expect it to zag, parries rather than jabs, feints before delivering a punch.

“The Smashing Machine,” about mixed martial arts fighter and UFC heavyweight champion Mark Kerr, played by an almost unrecognizable Dwayne Johnson, takes a shape and form that is not what we’re used to in traditional sports movies. It’s more like a jazzy improvisation on the formula that references familiar rhythms but marches entirely to the beat of its own drum, and it’s the kind of film that forces the audience to wrestle with what, exactly, we want to see from these kinds of narratives — tragedy or triumph? Safdie offers both, and neither.

Based on a 2002 documentary directed by John Hyams, Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine,” which he produced, wrote, directed and edited, mimics the documentary-style approach. Working with cinematographer Maceo Bishop, Safdie utilizes a variety of film formats from VHS to 16mm to 35mm to capture Kerr’s roller-coaster ride through the nascent world of professional MMA fighting in the late 1990s.

Mark’s soft-spoken interviews layered over his bloody brutality in the ring during a fighting tournament in Brazil is our introduction to the study in contrasts that animates the film. This is a portrait of a mostly good-natured gentle giant whose job is inflicting — and enduring — violence, but who speaks sweetly to older women in the doctor’s office, and to the medical receptionists who help to fill his prescriptions for increasingly potent pain medication. Mark can headbutt an opponent without a second thought but cannot easily communicate his needs to his spitfire girlfriend Dawn (Emily Blunt) for fear of hurting her feelings.

Mark and Dawn are opposites trying to make it work: she’s a bit of a wanton thrill-seeker who wants to feel like the most important person in his life, he’s a perfectionist and a bit of a fuddy-duddy. “My tummy,” he whines about a carnival ride. The savagery of Mark’s professional fights pale in comparison to the emotional warfare he and Dawn inflict on each other, often in hushed tones. When their resentments crescendo into an operatic climax, it’s far more harrowing anything he experiences in the octagon.

Blunt and Johnson first co-starred in “Jungle Cruise,” and are close friends, and the two share a palpable chemistry in moments of both love and conflict. But there’s never any question that Mark and Dawn are a match made in hell, their dysfunction doing battle with their clear affection for each other.

Mark thrives in the regulated space of training and fighting, following the rules even when others break them. Johnson’s performance isn’t just transformed in voice and manner, but is one of carefully calibrated control, as if Mark’s making himself smaller, quieter to appear less intimidating. Moments of explosive violence and emotion do erupt out of him, especially when he’s struggling with his opiate addiction.

Mark overcomes that particular hurdle rather quickly, thanks in part to the one healthy relationship he has, with friend, trainer and competitor Mark Coleman (played by pro MMA fighter Ryan Bader). There’s never an ounce of bad blood between the genial Kerr and Coleman, even when you’re expecting rivalry, as the two prepare to potentially face-off in the PRIDE Fighting Championships 2000 Grand Prix in Japan. Instead, the friends are simply happy to be together. Bader, while a bit limited in his range, is nevertheless a fascinating screen presence as the steady Coleman, capably undertaking a meaty role and making the character interesting enough that you wish there were far more of him in the picture.

Safdie offers up an unusual and appealingly weird sports biopic that is tastefully crafted and impeccably directed, anchored by Johnson and Blunt’s powerhouse performances, Bishop’s textured cinematography and Nala Sinephor’s loose, abstract, jazz-inspired score that echoes the film’s themes, juxtaposing hard and soft. But Safdie’s script is at times formless and somewhat baggy. It’s a bit hard to track the emotional journey when the beats feel like they hit in the wrong place and time.

It becomes clear that Safdie is intentionally denying a big, flashy “win the game” kind of film, offering instead a cerebral examination of the quotidian, workmanlike drudgery of being a professional athlete who never became a superstar household name, still shouldering the work, the struggle, the bad days, quibbling over contracts and rules, taking every hit without complaint. “A day without pain is like a day without sunshine,” Mark quips, and if there are any major revelations to take away from “The Smashing Machine,” it’s that Mark Kerr seems like a truly nice guy, one who had all the guts, and not enough glory.

‘The Smashing Machine’

3 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for language and some drug abuse)

Running time: 2:03

How to watch: In theaters on Friday, Oct. 3.

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The sheer volume of headlines tells its own tale. Russian drones over Poland and Romania. Russian fighter jets in Estonian airspace. Russian aircraft buzzing a German naval frigate in the Baltic Sea. Unidentified drones over Copenhagen and Oslo airports. Most recently, in the early hours one day last week, further drones appearing at other Danish airports.

In just over a fortnight, European states have reported a striking spate of incursions into their airspace. Russia has repeatedly denied responsibility, and questions remain over individual events: so far, Denmark has said only that a “professional actor” was at work in the airport incidents and that it can’t rule out Russia. But overall, there is a pattern that fits clearly into Moscow’s longer record of provocations and often implausible deniability – and which amounts to a notable escalation.

Such operations may distract from Russia’s slow progress on the battlefield in Ukraine. More obviously, they look like a test of both military responses and political will. On the first count, there is work to be done, judging from the reaction to the 19 drones in Polish airspace. On the second, Russia is testing whether Europe will hold its nerve in supporting Ukraine – and perhaps others in the future – when faced with nuisance or worse. Drones come cheap, yet forced Denmark to suspend flights from its largest airport for four hours, and Poland to spend millions scrambling jets.

Most obviously, these incursions are also testing U.S. intentions. Donald Trump suggested last week that Ukraine could win back its lost territory and that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft entering their airspace. Yet that looks less like a reorientation of U.S. policy than, in the words of one NATO official, “his hot take of the hour.” It is surely no coincidence that these events followed the red-carpet welcome that Mr Trump awarded Vladimir Putin in Alaska. An emboldened Russia is confident that the U.S. intends to further disengage from European security, rather than to bolster support.

NATO members met last week at Estonia’s request, but there are marked differences between their positions as well as shared alarm. Though shooting down a Russian plane would not be unprecedented – Turkey did it in 2015 – there is a division between those who believe it would deter Moscow and those who fear it would escalate the dangers.

These incursions should not treated as a narrowly military affair, but seen within Russia’s multi-domain strategy. The broader picture of security risks covers civilian infrastructure, too, and may involve non-state agents either enlisted or enabled by Moscow. Incidents may be less attention-grabbing yet potentially more significant.

The past year has seen repeated damage to undersea communications cables in the Baltic Sea, with suspicion of Moscow’s involvement. Norway’s spy chief said recently that Russian hackers had taken control of a dam this spring, releasing water for four hours before their interference was noticed. Ken McCallum, head of MI5, warned last October that Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, was “on a sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets: we’ve seen arson, sabotage and more”. He stressed that businesses, as well as the state, must address their vulnerabilities. The difficulties of establishing a unified response to the last fortnight’s events are a reminder that a comprehensive and coherent response to these broader issues will be essential, and even more challenging.

— The Guardian

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During this time of fear and division in the United States, it is heartening to see an example of courage and unity, especially as it pertains to one of our most contentious issues: immigration.

Donald Trump seized on fears related to immigration in the 2024 presidential campaign to help win a second term in office, but he has shown no interest in developing a plan to actually solve the nation’s immigration challenges or unite the country. His way remains that of the clenched fist, not the welcoming hand or the warm embrace. He seems unmoved by the uplifting poetry of Emma Lazarus that graces the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Thankfully, over 20 members of the U.S. House of Representatives are willing to work together to create a functioning American immigration policy. Led by Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida and Democratic U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar from Texas, these lawmakers have developed a serious proposal to tackle our immigration challenges.

This bipartisan effort comes at a time when treating a member of the other party with decency and respect can generate not only scorn from your political base but also quite possibly a primary opponent. However, Escobar, Salazar and their colleagues have chosen to honor their constitutional responsibilities and use their positions for the greater good. Their legislation was first introduced in 2023 and has been updated this year.

Salazar, a Republican, represents Florida’s 27th Congressional District. Before winning election to the House in 2020, she spent more than three decades as a journalist, interviewing Cuban President Fidel Castro and Augusto Pinochet, the former president of Chile, among other world leaders. Born in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, Salazar is the daughter of Cuban exiles. She knows firsthand that immigrants aren’t statistics or criminals but human beings, many with lofty aspirations, fierce drive and considerable talents.

Escobar, a Democrat, represents Texas’ 16th Congressional District. A native of El Paso, she served as a county commissioner and county judge before winning election to the House in 2018. With her district near the U.S.-Mexico border, she knows that America’s immigration crisis is not just a wedge issue or a campaign talking point, but a cancer attacking the nation’s immune system — and its soul. She has invited members of Congress to visit her district and tour federal immigration facilities, shelters and hospitals. She wanted “to ensure that people understood the border and understood how broken our immigration system is.”

The Salazar-Escobar bill, called The Dignity Act of 2025, seeks to strengthen border security, provide immigrants with an opportunity to obtain legal status if they meet certain requirements and overhaul the country’s asylum system.

It is a hugely complex bill, with dozens of titles and hundreds of pages of legislative text that deal with ports, visas, smuggling, electronic verification, inspector general audits and scores of other issues. At this point, the details of the bill are less significant than the fact that the measure confronts critical issues, outlines potential compromises and seeks common ground. “The eye of history,” Salazar warns, “is on us.”

A striking number of respected groups have praised the Salazar-Escobar bill as a much-needed effort to jump-start the stalled immigration debate, which has produced no major reforms in nearly four decades.

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The left-leaning Center for American Progress calls the bill a positive basis for serious negotiations, as have the right-leaning U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable. The American Immigration Council describes the Salazar-Escobar bill as “one of the most sweeping attempts to modify the immigration system that has been proposed in years.”

The American Immigration Lawyers Association says the package “demonstrates what a real conversation on immigration can look like — one rooted in American values of fairness and opportunity, driven by economic growth and prosperity and grounded in our shared humanity rather than extreme enforcement tactics that are terrifying communities, ripping families apart, adding to the ranks of the undocumented and creating significant economic disruptions.”

Statesmanship can involve bipartisanship, but the two terms are not synonymous. A strong bipartisan consensus can enact harmful policies or evade hard choices, while fierce partisans can be statesmen and stateswomen if they are willing to set aside party interest to advance the public good. Sometimes, bipartisanship is for show and is cynical. Other times, it is real and consequential.

The Salazar-Escobar bill is real and consequential bipartisanship. It is also an example of statesmanship. It is not a heaven-sent solution to our immigration problems. Rather, it allows policymakers — and the rest of us — an opportunity to summon the “better angels of our nature” and find a solution that is worthy of America’s best traditions.

John T. Shaw is director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. His most recent book is “The Education of a Statesman: How Global Leaders Can Repair a Fractured World.” He wrote this column for the Chicago Tribune.

Today is Friday, Oct. 3, the 276th day of 2025. There are 89 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 3, 1990, West Germany and East Germany ended 45 years of postwar division, declaring the creation of a reunified country.

Also on this date:

In 1944, during World War II, U.S. Army troops cracked the Siegfried Line north of Aachen, Germany.

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In 1951, the New York Giants captured the National League pennant by a score of 5-4 as Bobby Thomson hit a three-run homer off Ralph Branca of the Brooklyn Dodgers, which became known as the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World.”

In 1974, Frank Robinson was named the American League’s first Black manager after he was hired by the Cleveland Indians.

In 1993, 18 U.S. service members and hundreds of Somalis were killed in the Battle of Mogadishu — the deadliest battle for U.S. troops since the Vietnam War. The battle inspired the film “Black Hawk Down.”

In 1995, the jury in the O.J. Simpson murder trial in Los Angeles found the former football star not guilty of the 1994 killings of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.

In 2008, O.J. Simpson was found guilty of robbing two sports-memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room. (Simpson was sentenced late that year to nine to 33 years in prison; he was granted parole in July 2017 and released from prison in October of that year. He died at age 76 on April 10, 2024, after battling prostate cancer.)

In 2011, an Italian appeals court freed Amanda Knox of Seattle after four years in prison, tossing murder convictions against Knox and an ex-boyfriend in the stabbing of their British roommate, Meredith Kercher. An Italian high court definitively vindicated Knox in 2015, throwing out their convictions once and for all.

In 2013, a smugglers’ ship packed with African migrants sank off the coast of a southern Italian island, killing more than 365 people.

In 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to remove House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — the first time in U.S. history a speaker had been ousted from the position. Though McCarthy had the support of many fellow Republicans, several hard-right detractors from his party essentially forced him out.

Today’s Birthdays:

Composer Steve Reich is 89.
Rock and roll star Chubby Checker is 84.
Musician Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac) is 76.
Blues musician Keb’ Mo’ is 74.
Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield is 74.
Baseball Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley is 71.
Golf Hall of Famer Fred Couples is 66.
Rock drummer Tommy Lee is 63.
Actor Clive Owen is 61.
Film director Denis Villeneuve is 58.
Singer-TV personality Gwen Stefani is 56.
Pop singer Kevin Richardson (Backstreet Boys) is 54.
Actor Neve Campbell is 52.
Actor Lena Headey is 52.
Singer India.Arie is 50.
Rapper Talib Kweli is 50.
Actor Seann William Scott is 49.
Actor Tessa Thompson is 42.
Actor-singer Ashlee Simpson is 41.
Actor Alicia Vikander is 37.
Rapper A$AP Rocky is 37.
Actor Ayo Edebiri is 30.
Actor Noah Schnapp (TV: “Stranger Things”) is 21.