Monday, November 19, 2012

Smashed


In the opening scene of Smashed, Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up covered in her own piss, the result of a night of epic binge drinking gone too far. She playfully nags her just-as-hungover husband, Charlie (Aaron) before heading to the shower (where he cleans herself while crushing a beer) and attempting to make it to her job on time – a job in which she is paid to teach first graders.

And we’re off and running.

So from frame one, James Ponsoldt’s Smashed hooks us by showing a sad, desperate world of two sad, desperate alcoholics who are so set in their ways, that waking up in a puddle of piss is as common as snoozing the alarm clock three times.

At work that day, Kate’s hangover forces her to throw up in front of her students, which results in her telling a half assed lie that she’s knocked up and simply experiencing morning sickness. She leaves work, gets drunk singing karaoke, gives a stranger a ride, smokes crack, sleeps in an alley – and so it is and so it goes. This is Kate’s life, and Charlie is the ultimate enabler.
Tired of waking up in the street, Kate elects to slow down and get clean the right way. She’s going to go to the meetings, practice the steps, stay out of the bars, go through whatever motions it takes to stay clean. This upsets Charlie to no end, his frustration manifesting itself in a multitude of ways. And there’s Smashed. I’ve left a lot out because solid character studies are best explored at the source. And if this film is nothing else, it is a solid addition drama begging to be seen.

What sets it apart from other tales of alcoholics-in-decay is its humorously truthful tone. Neither Kate nor Charlie are angry drunks, but rather the kind who fall over wrestling while attempting to play croquet in the back yard. They make drinking look as silly as it can be for everyone. Difference is, Kate and Charlie aren’t everyone, they’re a married couple so dependent on a substance, that when one tries to give it up, it completely sends the other into a passive aggressive tailspin.

Aaron Paul has been made famous by playing a consummate fuckup in Breaking Bad. He’s great in that show and he’s great here. I was worried his Smashed character would mirror is meth-addicted Jesse from Breaking Bad in all the worst ways. But it is the completely antithesis; see it to believe it.
Nick Offerman (of Parks and Recreation fame, here playing a vice principal in recovery), Octavia Spencer (an Oscar winner for The Help, playing Kate’s sponsor) and Megan Mullally all contribute worthy supporting work here, but the star is indeed Winstead, who fearlessly asserts herself as a tiny powerhouse. I’ve seen Winstead in a number of things (a death dodger in Final Destination 3, a girl worth fighting for in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, a ditzy cheerleader in Death Proof), but I honestly had no idea she had a role like Kate in her. There’s a scene in this film that represents one of the most gut-wrenching, realistic relapses I’ve seen, one that could and should earn her a Best Actress Oscar nomination this year.

That may be wishful thinking on my part, given that Smashed has had such a clumsy release (it’s in this city one week, then that city another week, etc.) and, quite frankly, wouldn’t be nearly half the movie it is without Winstead. But at any rate, her performance is gold, and the film as a whole does its best to keep up. B+



Cities where Smashed will be released can be found here

14 comments:

  1. Such a well written review.
    I have no comment on the film because I missed it unfortunately, but about Winstead, I had her in my Oscar predictions for the longest time until the film was actually released and so mishandled that I gave up. Or am I being unfair when I say mishandled? Maybe it was just too small an indie to handle it any other way?

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    1. Thanks man! No, you aren't being unfair at all. Smashed is yet another example of a studio completely botching a release. I miss the days of NY/LA, then 10 screens, the 20 screens, then 100 screens, and so on. This one just tried to open wherever it could whenever it could. It never came to Washington DC (where I usually see my indies), but it popped in my small city for just one week. Weird.

      If she gets nominated, it'll be a miracle.

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    2. At this point, yes, it would be a miracle. I think with Chastain a very strong possibility, and likelier nominees from bigger films (Lawrence, Mirren, Riva, Wallis) and bigger names like Watts and Cotillard, she'll end up with an Indie Spirits nom and that's about it.

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    3. Yep. We're in completely agreement here.

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  2. I probably won't get to see this until it's out on DVD or streaming on AIV, but I can't wait! I don't think Oscar is going anywhere near this film though.

    I've been hoping Winstead would get a role like this since I saw her in Bobby, and even Live Free or Die Hard. Glad to hear she's great in the film.

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    1. The shitty distribution on this flick merits a blog post in and of itself. Really a shame that the studio botched this one. Hope you get to see it sooner rather than later. If it got in front of more people, Winstead definitely would be up for Oscar consideration.

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  3. Good to finally hear your thoughts on one of my favorites this year! Yeah the distributer is really mishandling the release of this, but then again it's a small indie that they didn't think would make anything at the box office. Ah well, M.E.W has to take home some hardware for her work here no matter the type of awards. I second everything you had to say here, even though I rate this a tad higher than you do. Great Review, man!

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    1. Thanks buddy! Just commented on your review, basically thanking you for pushing me to see this one. Here's to hoping Winstead gets SOME sort of awards consideration. She so deserves it.

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  4. I'm kicking myself for missing this when it was playing here. Any idea on if it will be getting an extended release in the future? I wasn't aware they were just going week-by-week in different cities.

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    1. Well, I imagine Winstead will pick up an Indie Spirt nomination this week, so maybe after that, it'll spark a slightly wider release (but I doubt it). Your best bet is a Golden Globe nom. If she gets one of those, the studio will push it moderately wide. If not, then DVD. Sucks.

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  5. Yes, this movie definitely sounds right up my alley. Gorgeous review!

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  6. This all sounds really amazing, I like Paul a lot and Winstead is such a great actress, even in movies like The Thing should was able to create something out of nothing. Definetly going to see it at first opportunity.

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    1. Great to hear. I really hope you dig it. Both the leads are incredible.

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