Sexylocher
Masterful Movie
Limerculer
A waste of 90 minutes of my life
Brennan Camacho
Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.
Darin
One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
Matt Greene
Smashed is about alcoholism, certainly. But it's also about marriage. Growing as an individual is great, but how does that affect the relationship you have with your spouse? Must you both grow together in order to not grow apart? Taking a unique point-of-view and harboring another impressive turn from future-awards-winner Winstead, this is a difficult and uncomfortably honest little romantic drama from a talented young filmmaker.
dlrturtle
I am a recovering alcoholic, 23 years sober. Over the years, I've developed somewhat of an obsession with films on this subject, always looking for my own story. 'Smashed' is that film. Mary Elizabeth Winstead captures the essence of the functional alcoholic perfectly. Her character, Kate, is two people - the respected, enthusiastic teacher by day and the out of control drunk by night. This can work for a while, but there will always come a day when these two worlds literally collide.This movie hits that mark perfectly. Kate's recognition that she is an alcoholic is tough to watch, but so realistic. I knew I had a problem, but denied it until that one morning I woke up in my car and had flashes of memories from a crazy, chaotic night before. Like Kate, I went to AA that same day, and while I hated it at first, those people saved my life.This movie is about redemption and loss. Getting sober isn't easy. Life continues and we are left to deal with the wreckage of our past. Those problems we ignored, suddenly explode in our faces. But we deal with them. 'Smashed' should be required viewing at rehab because it's real.
Tash Jones
Smashed is about a scenario we're all familiar with.Everyone is having fun and living carefree until one person decides they want to change. It puts a strain on that friendship (or relationship). Only here, we have a married adult couple. They drink a lot and occasionally dabble in drugs. When the wife throws up in front of her primary school class, and pretends she is pregnant to cover up her hangover, she realises she has to change. Kate's (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead), partner, Charlie (Aaron Paul) isn't very supportive and maintains drinking himself, in front of her.It really makes you wonder if the decisions you make whilst being under the influence or addicted to something - albeit a substance, or food, are the decisions you'd make, without it. The tale resolves itself but is far from happy, because of that I find the realism all the more believable.The moment when the phrase 'moist pussy' was said too me off guard and I definitely laughed out loud and laughed. Great moment and great acting all round, good film.
jaguiar313
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.