Review of Smashed (2012) by Timothy H — 21 Jul 2013

Featuring strong performances from two of my favorite young actors, Smashed is a fantastic independent drama film.

Charlie (Aaron Paul) and Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) are a young married couple who spend their nights partying and having fun. This lifestyle is accompanied by heavy drinking, which begins to become a problem. When Kate, an elementary teacher, shows up to class hungover, she finds herself entangled in a web of lies to keep her addiction secret. Realizing she needs to get sober, Kate decides to join AA and change her harmful way of living. Unfortunately, Charlie is reluctant to join her and Kate begins to see their relationship in a new light.

A movie like this absolutely needs premium acting, which is exactly what you get from these two lead actors. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is so convincing as an alcoholic who realizes she can't continue on the path she's on. The drunken scenes are perfect and you actually feel sadness for what you are seeing on the screen. In the same breath, Aaron Paul (who most will know for his role on Breaking Bad), also does a tremendous job portraying his confused character. Even though this isn't a big-time film, it's wonderful seeing this raw acting ability.

As with most of these indie films, Smashed can best be described as a character piece. Some people may be turned off by that, because honestly there isn't much going on. This is simply a look into the lives of young people struggling with alcoholism. Fans of pure drama and people who appreciate great acting should definitely check this one out. I was pleasantly surprised with this viewing experience. 4 stars.