What's the old saying?
"Ignorance is bliss?" So is alcoholism, and Hollywood is full of
movies that portray happy and destructive drunks, unaware or uncaring of the
damage they do to those around them. In most cases these films veer towards the
redemptive qualities of sobering up, that of the relationship able to withstand
the tumult and face a brighter future without the specter of addiction looming
over it. But what about the relationship where alcohol wasn't just the
catalyst, but the glue holding it together? What happens when you remove liquor
from the equation?
Smashed is a powerful, brutally uncompromising film that explores
the ins and outs of a marriage forged in the blurry haze of booze. Without a
hint of glorification, writer/director James Ponsoldt explores that razor thin
line where perpetual drunkenness goes from fun to embarrassing to downright
scary. Mary Elizabeth Winstead gives a compelling, Oscar-worthy performance as
Kate, a fun-loving wild child who is rarely sober, and rarely needs to be with
her equally sloshed music journalist husband Charlie(Aaron Paul) enabling her
at every turn. Fairly early on we see these two are a toxic pair, with Charlie
allowing his wife to drive off in a drunken stupor, the evening devolving into
a random crack smoking binge, and ending with Kate waking up in the middle of
nowhere on a street corner.
From there it's a continued downward
spiral, culminating with her vomiting in front of her elementary school class
and telling a whopper of a lie to cover it up, a lie that haunts her for the
rest of the film. But it also opens the door to redemption, as it catches the
attention of a fellow teacher and recovering alcoholic (Nick Offerman), who
offers to enroll her in Alcoholics Anonymous if she's willing. She takes him up
on the offer after realizing she won't be able to do it without help.
Smartly, Ponsoldt doesn't deliver us
a story that's all good cheer and roses stemming from Kate taking a step in the
right direction. In fact, her life only gets more difficult as a result, and it
becomes clear that alcohol was more than just a way to avoid all of life's troubles;
it allowed Kate to perceive herself as something other than what she really
was. She'd spent so much time inebriated that she really had no sense of self,
and she finds it difficult trying to relate to people without the easy
confidence liquor provides. This is never more apparent than in her first
meetings in AA, or when she visits her mother(Mary Kay Place), a lifelong drunk
who can't fathom a world where a Bloody Mary isn't always at hand.
Most devastating is the collapse of
Kate and Charlie's relationship without that one unifying factor. As she
continually works to better herself, his open mistrust of the AA system, and
utter disdain of her newfound sponsors (including a game Octavia Spencer),
actively hinders her progress. Even though it's obvious that their happiness
was built on shaky ground to begin with, it's tough watching them deteriorate
as he seems unwilling to acknowledge any problem, while she tries to stop from
slipping back into old habits.
Co-written by Ponsoldt and Susan
Burke, based in part on the her own struggles with alcoholism, Smashed
finds greatest success when dealing with Kate and Charlie's terminal
co-dependence. Kate's personal struggles are familiar ones, and the film is
fairly straight forward in that regard, which may explain why so many other
ill-fitting elements are thrust into the story. Kate's close-knit bond with her
AA sponsors takes a weird turn when Offerman's character admits his true
feelings for her in awkward fashion. And there's a distracting subplot
involving the comically enthusiastic principal (Megan Mullally) of Kate's
school, who lives vicariously through the young woman. Offerman and Mullally
are talented comedians (and married, to boot), and these storylines come off as
a poor attempt to interject their brand of humor into the film.
Due for a role she could really sink
her teeth into, Winstead is a revelation as Kate, and will remind some of Gena
Rowland's award-nominated turn in A Woman Under the Influence. She's more than
just the typical caricature of a drunk, but plays someone whose learned
alcoholic behavior filled her with a false glow. Without it, she's all jitters
and social anxiety, incapable of dealing with the full force of life crashing
down around her. You won't find a better female performance this season. Paul
is solid, but he shrinks a little bit opposite Winstead. This is clearly her
show, and she more than runs away with it.
There are no happy endings in a
story like this. Besting alcoholism isn't a sprint, and while there are some
hopeful touches towards the end, it's clear that Kate's story is far from over.
