Smashed

source: Smashed

I like Mary Winstead as an actress, although she isnt at her best in this movie. What's worse the opposite male actor (unknown) is a nobody, lacking charisma and chemistry. THAT is a problem, because this movie evolves solely around this couple, who are both alcoholics, when one suddenly starts going sober. The bad: no chemistry. No drama. No credibility. No suspense, storywise. Any good? Well, the story by itself isnt terrible. It's a good attempt at portraying the difficulties of kicking a drug habit.

So the movie itself is a bit of a slow burner, a really slow burner but if you stick with it the storyline does finally suck you in. I personally had a tough time connecting with the protagonist's character, okay, i actually didn't like her. Had a tough time believing her. Anyway. Great theme arc as it focused on how we as humans tend to use our vices to cover up the real underlying issues in our lives, and in this film, the marriage relationships. The protagonist realizes this about herself and decides to do something about it. supporting cast livened it up a bit. Other scenes looked too rehearsed taking away the rawness of the scene. Such as the liquor store scene and the arguing scenes between the protagonist and her husband. Although the very last scene for me was the winner, dialogue was powerful and really resonated, Aaron's performance there told so much about the story and her reaction to it was worth the 90 minutes.

I enjoyed this movie. MEW is a great actress and did a good job in this movie. One thing that make me think though is how I laughed at the sex scene where her husband falls asleep. Since it is happening to a man, people laugh. And that is OK. The far left likes to say that men can't be victims of sexism, so maybe they can't be victims of rape in their eyes either. If it were a woman getting slapped to stay awake during a sex scene, then the guy kept going once she was completely asleep; we would all be talking about "the disturbing rape scene in Smashed" But, since it was a guy...it is just funny. Nobody cares. He probably liked it, right? You can't have it one way and not the other. So, think about a gender reversal when you laugh at that scene and then ask yourself if you would be fighting just as much for a man while you're out there marching in your pink hat and chanting about the patriarchy.

Smashed is a very unusual take on alcoholism: it's funny without becoming critical or irreverent, bleak but not overwhelmingly so, realistic and observant but not preachy or manipulative. It's so intimate that it's often uncomfortable to watch - during the most intense scenes there are barely any cuts, making for an immersive, almost awkwardly intrusive experience - but the grounded, winning cast bring light to it at its darkest moments. It's definitely the Winstead show, she has more than her fair share of extended close ups, monologues and Oscar clips and she nails it all. Her introduction at her first AA meeting exudes vulnerability and was so heartbreaking as I've never seen her like that before, and at other times she builds Kate on a foundation of humor and apathy that brings out the comedy in the movie'a sometimes ridiculous situations. The other actors do good work too, especially Aaron Paul who shares an easy chemistry with Winstead and does a wonderful job of shading a thinly written character - but the movie rests mostly on Winstead and she's more than capable of bearing the burden. What I liked and admired the most about it is how unblinking and thorough it is. A lot of movies about addiction tend to focus on just one aspect of the victim's/victims' life - how it's affecting their workplace, their friendships, their marriage, or their relationship with the self, etc. Not and - or. I expected the same from Smashed; the trailer at least suggested that the marriage would be the main focus. But surprisingly it was all-encompassing; we see Kate's entire life unraveling around her, and the writing and directing don't shy away from anything. I especially liked that Kate isn't painted as a victim, she makes her own choices and has to deal with her own consequences. It's not a pity party. People and life are cruel to her but you get the sense that she almost feels she deserves it. I don't know that I've seen such an objective and insightful movie in this "genre" since maybe Panic in Needle Park. I was also happy with the attention to detail regarding Kate's hygiene - Winstead looks dirty and gross for most of the movie and that's how it should be. I get tired of movies about women in tough situations who always look like they just walked out of a salon. Smashed seems destined to fly completely under the radar, which is a real shame - it's one of the unsung gems of the year so far with a stunningly good performance from Winstead and paints an exquisitely detailed portrait that leaves you feeling like you've learned something, like you understand, like you've gone through the journey along with her.

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" might not have been a smashing success at the box office being a small independent movie, but I have to mention that there is an actress that is smashing her way to elite status, and that would be Mary Elizabeth Winstead. She stars in the film as Kate Hannah, who is married to Charlie Hannah. Kate is an elementary school teacher. Kate & Charlie do not have any kids. However, they have adopted a few liquorish little ones or big ones for that matter in the names of Jack Daniels, Johnnie Walker, Jose Cuervo, and a string of other spirited lush-causing agents. In other non-pun wordage, they are both alcoholics. While teaching a class, Kate throws up in front of her students due to a hangover; when her students ask her if she is pregnant, she is caught off-guard with the question, and lies to them and says that she is. Consequently, the entire school's administration and faculty is informed that Kate does have a pun in the oven, I mean bun in the oven, (even though she doesn't); and suddenly Kate is impregnated with a deceitful cover-up situation and has to pretend she is pregnant in her school. The school's Assistant Principal Dave Davies, played by Nick Offerman, did see Kate drinking in the teacher's parking lot the same morning that she spilled her vomiting vocabulary in front of her class. Davies questions Kate on the incident, and Kate does inform him that she was drinking and is not pregnant. Davies is a recovered alcoholic and suggests that she join him in an Alcoholic Anonymous meeting. Kate, seeing that her self- destructive vice is worsening, decides to join Davies in the meeting. There she meets her sponsor Jenny, portrayed by Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer. Once again, Spencer is playing a role where she provides "help" to a white woman. Whether Kate is able to overcome her alcoholism, is one that I will not reveal because I will be spilling the spoiler on you; and if I do, you just might "86" me by not reading any of my future film reviews. As far as Charlie "J. Daniels" Hannah is concerned on his drinking, he just keeps chugging away which does not make things any easier for Kate from abstaining from alcohol when her husband is still married to the bottle. James Ponsoldt vehemently exhibits the independent spirit or spirits, in his direction of the picture; he shot the film in only 19 days. Ponsoldt and Susan Burke's script of "Smashed" was very authentic on the struggles of alcoholism and its effects on a marriage. Winstead's starring performance as Kate hanged over my head for quite a while in declaring it as one of the best performances by a leading actress in 2012, and should have received more merit during the recent award season. Aaron Paul, of TV's "Breaking Bad", broke in the independent movie circuit with a great performance as Charlie. Also have to give shots out, I mean shout-outs, to the steady supporting performances from Offerman, Spencer, and Megan Mullally as the school's Principal. And I also place in good standing Mary Kay Place's brief supporting work as Kate's mother Rochelle. "Smashed" is not a perfect film, but it is a gripping film that should be watched for no other reason than Winstead's monster smash performance! ***** Excellent

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" 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.

Whether it is us or one of the many people we know, it is hard for anyone to say they have never been around someone who has gotten far too drunk; someone that should have been cut off sooner than they were. The mess that results can often times be humorous, while other times it can become a concern. And if it is something that starts to control your life, then it has become a sickness. This is the subject of the film Smashed, the story of an alcoholic first grade teacher named Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Married to Charlie (Aaron Paul), Kate has grown up in a world of drinkers; her friends, her family, even strangers she has only just met all seem to live the same lifestyle as she does. But reality sets in when Kate gets to the limits of lying to the children in her class and waking up underneath a highway. Kate has a problem and it is affecting her life and those around her dramatically. Deciding she needs to make a change, Kate finds her way to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting through one of her co-workers, Dave (Nick Offerman). Finding she starts to like getting her life together an being sober, Kate continues on with AA through the support of Dave and her sponsor, Jenny (Octavia Spencer). The support she lacks is that of her husband, Charlie, who continues to drink and causes a struggle for Kate in her everyday living. With struggles in her home and work life, Kate realizes that becoming sober and stopping her urge to drink isn't even the strongest challenge in her life. The biggest struggle is mending and holding relationships with the people around her and finding a way to be an honest and good person in her own life. As I mentioned earlier, drunken behavior is not something many of us are foreign to, whether it is ourselves or someone we have been around during a crazy night. This is important because it is how we judge many portions of this movie. Both Winstead and Paul have to act through multiple scenes where their character is belligerent. Knowing how a drunk would act, walk, and speak becomes an immediate factor, but it is something that both actors perform brilliantly. And this isn't as simple as being able to stumble around or slur words. Dramatic sequences involving violent arguments in a drunken state become the major conflicts in the film and the at ions and words that are said in these moments are the true colors of these characters. As it is said, what we say and do in our drunkest moments are often times our most honest. But what is more important is those scenes in which Kate is sober or trying to talk to Charlie about their relationship. The raw emotion and power that Winstead displays is not only realistic and strong, it is some of the most powerful acting we have seen from an actress this year. While Winstead has been seen before in films such as Scott Pilgrim vs, the World, The Thing, Live Free or Die Hard, and Final Destination 3, Smashed is her coming out as a very serious and talented actress. She absolutely blew me away this movie and deserves recognition come award season. To read the rest (IMDb form too short) visit: http://custodianfilmcritic.com/smashed/