Smashed (2012)

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Smashed follows a married couple who are both alcoholics. Ultimately, the wife Kate realizes how much alcohol has affected her life and attempts to sober up. Mary Elizabeth Winstead pulls off a largely solid performance here. Sometimes she seemed kind of off, but for the most part she was charming and I really enjoyed seeing her character on screen. Aaron Paul did a consistently great job I think. He's an interesting character that maybe should've received a bit more attention, but for what he has does great. His character is complex and flawed, and he pulls it off in a convincing way. And moreover, both these actors have great chemistry. They play off of each other really well, and I definitely bought into the idea of them being married. The writing is usually pretty good. There are never any issues I had with it really. I was never left confused or wondering how a particular character could be so stupid or anything. It captured addiction fairly well, which is exactly what I presume it was going for. Overall James Ponsoldt has created another solid movie. While it isn't as good as some of his others, it's a solid film that I certainly enjoyed seeing. In the end I would recommend it.

The short feature only talks about the grave effect of alcoholism on modern version of marriage institution. And, well, it talks sharp & real.Mary Winstead is amazing as she takes on two roles in here: one, when she's sober and another when she's drunk. Both are so distinctive, they speak volumes as to how how a person becomes when he drinks all night, all day. Aaron Paul finely complements her, with his peculiar diction and portrayal. Both are two of my favorites now. Even the supporting cast is very good.Hitting exactly how alcoholism strikes relationships and wrecks havoc in all aspects of a person's life, the plot evolves into self-realization and the story further. There is humor, which purportedly is an embarrassment to the characters. With a sweet ending, Smashed is original and soothing, with its music & setup. Fine direction, photography & editing.BOTTOM LINE: Recommended. Great performances and a very authentic story.Can be watched with a typical Indian family? NO

While Aaron Paul has long shown his calibre in previous projects, he continues to surprise by turning simple choices of words into an emotionally charged line. If you are looking for films with fine acting performances, you have to include Smashed on your list. The film follows the story of an alcoholic couple and the fall of their marriage when one of them decides to be sober.Kate Hannah doesn't realize she is an alcoholic until something happens to her that make her question her actions. As a pre-school teacher, Kate is not the obvious role model for the kids when she shows up to work still hungover from last night's ride. She even pukes in the middle of the class, using the excuse that she's pregnant when one of her students asked if she is. This incident wasn't enough to cause her to come to her senses. She realizes the problem when a stranger offers her to smoke crack while she was drunk. While nothing really bad happened to her, it was enough of a wake-up call for her to start taking steps for her own good.Luckily for her, co-teacher and confidante Dave reveals that he was an alcoholic and that he regularly attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. During her first session, she meets and falls in awe of Jenny's story, her soon-to-be sponsor in the film. Jenny helps her go through the 12 Step process by guiding her through simple conversations. Conflict arises when Kate realizes she can't stay sober unless her husband stops drinking in front of her.Tender, sweet, and raw are three things that come to mind whenever I look back at seeing the movie. It wasn't preachy and it wasn't overly dramatic but it gets its point across. One of the best scenes you'd have to watch out for *SPOILER* is when Kate goes into relapse after making a decision to stay honest (one of the points in the 12 Step to change). Kate's life falls apart while she was sober: a thing she points out in the film. I love the contrast of the film in its storytelling.Heartbreaking and with an ambiguous ending, Smashed is going to leave you in pain and hoping for the best but you will have to leave it to how you interpret Kate's closeup shot at the end. With a great performances from the whole cast, the films succeeds in telling a story of change and the sacrifices you have to make in keeping true to what you want to achieve. The only thing I could leave you is that Mary Elizabeth Winstead is going to be around longer because of her performance in this, especially when she says, "Let's do some shots" repetitively. Aaron Paul's last lines in the film is something that you will take with you when credits start to roll. Let's just say I replayed it 3 times.With the direction of James Ponsoldt, he was able to turn this piece he co-wrote with Susan Burke, into a cinematic, contemporary work of art. It's definitely deserving of its win in Sundance 2012 for the US Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing.Smashed is an original piece that will make you wish for more films to have the same quality.writelikesundance.wordpress.com

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.