Smashed

Pretty teacher Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and husband Charlie (Aaron Paul) are a young married couple who are also alcoholics. When Kate gets sick of waking up in strange places and peeing herself, she decides to quit drinking and get help. But, Kate faces an uphill battle as she gets resentment, not support, from her husband and to gain sobriety she may loose everything. What I liked most about this indie drama was that co-writer/ director James Ponsoldt avoids the melodramatics that usually come with films of this nature and guides his cast trough a real life situation and has them play real life people complete with quirks and all. And as for his cast, they all give good down to earth performances but, it is Winstead who owns the movie as the troubled young woman who wants to change the downward spiral of her life. She effectively portrays the frustration of her own behavior and then then hurt and anger when she tries to change her life and doesn't get the support she needs from those she cares about. Winstead shows chops that she hasn't yet had the opportunity to show and she gives a very real and effecting performance. True, I would like to have seen more of the relationship between Kate and her AA sponsor, Jenny (Octavia Spencer) and a subplot involving her vice principal, Dave (Nick Offerman), who has a crush on her and introduces her to his AA group, doesn't quite click but, this are minor points. Overall Smashed is a solid and heartfelt drama that doesn't preach yet, doesn't make light of it subject matter and gives a talented young actress a role she can really shine in. Recommended for those who are looking for a drama that's refreshingly un-Hollywood and want to see Winstead prove she's more then a pretty face.

"Smashed" stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Kate a twenty-something alcoholic who has finally had enough of her drug and alcohol-fuelled lifestyle. The good thing is that it's not presented as a superficial inspirational drama. The bad part is that that means that Kate is pretty unlikable from beginning to end. She goes to work as a school teacher while hung-over and concocts a lie about being pregnant when she can't keep the contents of her stomach down.

Eventually she comes home to her husband, Charlie (Aaron Paul), and realizes that it's time for her to get sober. Good for her. Unfortunately, Charlie doesn't realize that it would be a good idea for him too. And thus starts the deteriorating relationship drama that parallels the progressive character study.

Most people will be watching this for Winstead's tour-de-force career- defining performance. I watched it because of Aaron Paul. The quiet but powerful actor of the hit show "Breaking Bad" has his fair share of fans through his portrayal of the drug-dealing junkie, Jesse. Nobody can treat Jesse poorly. On the show they'll likely die, outside of the show, they'll get a scathing review. In "Smashed" we've already established that Kate isn't very likable and because she thinks she's more mature than Charlie she doesn't treat him with much respect.

As Kate and Charlie's marriage deteriorates, I'm not sure which emotions the filmmakers wanted from the audience, but I was just mad. Charlie deserved better. Actually most of the actors deserved better. A lot of people are praising the humour and supporting performances in this film. Nick Offerman played a fellow addict who had a very creepy side which was supposed to account for a wicked sense of humour but it was just a bit too awkward for me to find entertaining. Octavia Spencer plays Kate's sponsor and her wicked sense of humour seems to come out of nowhere since her character isn't well defined.

"Smashed" does offer a realistic view of the struggle of addiction and sobriety with a refreshing mix of humour and drama, but it was hard to be on Kate's side and the film doesn't seem to give the supporting characters their full due.

Writing as an alcoholic... I have 2 things to say about this film. The first is that the learnt ability to 'deal' with life through alcohol abuse, was entirely authentic... and the second is that the loss of important relationships was inevitable with the life changes that salvation demands.

Writing as a film critic... that this taught me something about my own alcoholism... makes it an impressive film from my point of view. The inter-dependent relationship at the centre of this story is entirely real, as is it's eventual de-construction. Only a non-addict would see the interventions contained within the story as being sanctimonious or having some political agenda. This is not an argument... alcohol destroys lives.

The acting from the two 'leads' was excellent. The bigotry towards alcoholism was treated in a perfunctory way... but was still relevant to the story. Most of all... this film portrays the isolation felt by those who escape their entrapments. We all have to take giant steps in our lives... those steps rarely coincide with anyone else's. This film demonstrates that very well.

This was never going to be a film that excites the majority movie-goers...but for those that like films that can tell you something you didn't already know... it is well worth watching.

The movie itself is not really a big shouting message to tell people what to do. And even Aaron Paul, whose character may seem one dimensional does have things you'll discover about him. There are more layers there and some need looking at them to see them. Nick Offerman plays it almost silently, but has one completely over the top scene (a scene with a follow-up joke that would fit in any other comedy too), that still does not derail the movie.

But the main protagonist, our woman that we follow is what it's all about. And she delivers in a way that is very heartbreaking to watch. And very real too. Everyday problems and things that get out of hand. You may cringe here and there, but the movie is still able to affect you very deeply.

SMASHED (dir. James Ponsoldt) Kate and Charlie are 'twenty-something' married alcoholics who live a boozy and carefree life in a working class section of Los Angeles. The problem is that when Kate hits bottom first they soon find themselves emotionally and psychologically at odds. Mary Elizabeth Winstead turns in a stunning performance as a winsome primary school teacher who realizes that alcohol has made her life unmanageable, but her new-found sobriety seems to have accentuated subliminal problems in her married and professional life. The film offers the uncommon insight that an alcoholic's last drink really only marks the beginning of the true struggle. SMASHED is a film of redemption that rings true. Worth A Look