Thursday, December 20, 2012

Smashed Review

Live's Worth Saving
Austen Goslin






Smashed is about the addicted, not the addiction. Too often films about alcoholism can turn into sermons on the evils of the drink. Smashed is the rare one that brings a bit of negative bitterness towards sobriety.

Smashed follows the young couple of Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Charlie (Aaron Paul) Hannah. For them every night is a party and happy hour lasts from dusk till dawn. Their string of ceaseless drinking is only halted by the occasional need for sleep and for Kate's first grade teaching job.

The crux of the story comes with Kate's Momento Mori, which happens to come in the form of throwing up in front of first graders. It's from here that Smashed turns into something truly special. Forgoing standard addiction fair Smashed tells the story of Kate's long road to sobriety with an emphasis on the downsides.

Surrounded by a quasi AA group of an elder generation Kate moves closer to sobriety  We see the effects on friends and family, as well as the tole it takes on her. In this group she is shepherded along her difficult journey by a stellar cast led by Octavia Spencer and NickOfferman.

Throughout her story, Kate suffers heart break at every turn. As Kate tries to find fun in sobriety and retain the friends she knew from drinking,we are shown why sobriety is so difficult. It is an amazing movie that can turn a viewer so starkly against the concept of sobriety.

There is a special feeling contained in every defeat Kate faces, one that viewers can't help but be pulled into. The film always feels strikingly genuine, in a way that seems born out of shared experience between creator and character. Each moment is handled gracefully by script that loves each of it's characters.

These moments are handled with grace by director, James Ponsoldt. He allows the story to be told through the performances rather than asserting selfish  heavy handed presence. Ponsoldt clearly holds the material he is working with in the highest regard, and never tries to tamper too heavily with it. This helps a great deal with the genuine and honest feel that permeates every aspect of the film.

It is this honesty that keeps Smashed from falling into the stereotypical ruts of a recovery story. Watching Winstead crawl from wreckage of Kate's lies and successes is an experience that can only truly be described as human. This humanity is quite possibly the best success of Smashed.

Ina film loaded throughout, with incredible performances, it is the truth in the relationship between Kate and Charlie that truly shines. Winstead and Paul work perfectly off of each other with a chemistry that never feels forced. Seeing young actors perform with such staggering talent is a treat that inspires hope for the future of films.

If there is fault to be found in Smashed, it lies within the story.While the primary story is told with great effectiveness, side stories are often dropped with only a passing mention. This scripting inconsistency could easily be damning for some films, however in the end  the charm and heart of Smashed helps it to easily over come it's few faults.

Smashed is a rare film that handles a heavy topic with brevity and truth. It never allows the viewers attention to slip, and in such a human story  this is a phenomenal feat. Every aspect helps to lend the films quality and depth sadly absent from the majority of major films.Smashed is an honest and beautiful look at the problems of fixing life.


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