A movie about an alcoholic young woman, Smashed wasn't made to preach, or to even subtly reveal a moral lesson, but it sort of sadly admits the truth. And the truth isn't necessarily fun. It's depressing.
Alcoholic Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), with her unbrushed hair and her everyday baggy sweater and floral-print ankle-length cultish dress, is a grade school teacher and married to a fellow alcoholic, Charlie (Aaron Paul).
Life is nice and problem-free when you're drunk. Everything is funny and adorable, and it's party every single day. However, after several embarrassing drunken incidents, Kate shamefully realizes that she has a serious problem. She's...an alcoholic. So she starts the journey to sobriety through AA meetings, of course. Finally sober, Kate realizes that life is boring, she is boring, her husband, whom she apparently married with alcohol clouding her judgment, is only adorable when she's drunk. And that problems and responsibilities actually exist in an alcohol-free life, i.e., real life. And then there's still the uncomfortable lie that she has to own up to.
Life is nice and problem-free when you're drunk. Everything is funny and adorable, and it's party every single day. However, after several embarrassing drunken incidents, Kate shamefully realizes that she has a serious problem. She's...an alcoholic. So she starts the journey to sobriety through AA meetings, of course. Finally sober, Kate realizes that life is boring, she is boring, her husband, whom she apparently married with alcohol clouding her judgment, is only adorable when she's drunk. And that problems and responsibilities actually exist in an alcohol-free life, i.e., real life. And then there's still the uncomfortable lie that she has to own up to.
Written and directed by Jason Ponsoldt, and a Sundance Special Jury Prize winner, Smashed brings a clever perspective: the protagonist's life falls apart after doing the right thing. After the deceptive, protective veil of intoxication has been lifted, you see that life is tough and that you've got no personality other than your shabby, cult-ish outfit. Like Kate's AA sponsor Jenny (Octavia Spencer), aptly says, "It's hard to live your life honestly." And that's the only great line in the movie.
Smashed looks like your regular indie film, with naturalistic dialogue delivered exceptionally well by the entire cast, especially Winstead— who will break your heart with her stumbling, awkward words, her flushed face, and her large eyes brimming with pained tears. However, the conflicts in Kate's life are delivered in a weak manner, the lie she told was even ridiculous, therefore the movie will only be remembered because of Winstead's natural performance and her clothes— but not exactly the drama. Watching it feels like reading a personal blog that frustratingly lacks the juicy, rich details. Despite its smart angle on the issue of alcoholism, there's blandness about the film; here is a bland, intoxicated girl living a bland life that has become more bland when she became sober— complete with bland dialogue. If this movie were food, you'd feel like reaching for the salt.
2 out of 5 stars
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